From The Banner · Jessica Calefati,Lee O. Sanderlin,Jessica Gallagher · · 1m 30s
Maryland adopts new rules after missing Baltimore boy’s case exposes gaps
Maryland creates new child protection rules after 9-year-old Tristan King vanished for 6 months.
In brief
Maryland creates new child protection rules after 9-year-old Tristan King vanished for 6 months. Maryland implemented new rules to protect children under state supervision after Tristan King, a 9-year-old Baltimore boy, went missing for nearly six months. Originally reported by The Banner.
New child protection rules
Maryland created new Department of Human Services rules to better protect children under state supervision if they run away or go missing.
Tristan King’s case
A 9-year-old Baltimore boy went missing for nearly six months after jumping from his caseworker’s car in September 2025.
State response
Gov. Wes Moore and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott ordered a review of agencies in March 2026 to determine how Tristan fell through the cracks.
New protections
Protections now extend to all children under state supervision, not just those in foster care, including weekly contact attempts with close contacts and law enforcement.
Current missing children
There are 52 children missing under state supervision today, with new rules requiring weekly contact attempts until the child is found.
Tristan’s case details
Tristan’s caseworker called 911 and filed a missing person report in September 2025, but authorities’ efforts to find him were uneven.
Tristan’s family
Tristan’s great aunt Denise Day hid him for months after a July 2025 fire destroyed their home, and she thought her running and hiding had paid off.
Tristan found
Authorities found Tristan with Denise Day in a South Baltimore rowhome on March 13, 2026, and placed him in a therapeutic foster home.
What to remember
Maryland implemented new rules to protect children under state supervision after Tristan King, a 9-year-old Baltimore boy, went missing for nearly six months.
