# 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.
- Title: Maryland adopts new rules after missing Baltimore boy’s case…
- Summary: Maryland creates new child protection rules after 9-year-old Tristan King vanished for 6 months.
- Keywords: maryland, tristan king, baltimore, missing children, department of human services, state supervision, foster care, youth services coordinator, law enforcement, child welfare, The Banner
- Source: The Banner — https://thebanner.com/politics-power/state-government/tristan-king-maryland-missing-children-FNYRQM336FFRLBAVED6N4S3ZWA
- Author: Jessica Calefati,Lee O. Sanderlin,Jessica Gallagher
- Published: 2026-11-06T10:30:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: maryland, tristan king, baltimore, missing children, department of human services, state supervision, foster care, youth services coordinator, law enforcement, child welfare, news, local
## 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.
## Key takeaway

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.