ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore yesterday testified in front of the House Appropriations Committee in support of the
ENOUGH Act, part of the Moore-Miller Administration's 2024 legislative agenda to make Maryland more competitive. Joined by Maryland Department of Human Services Secretary Rafael López and Governor’s Office for Children Special Secretary Carmel Martin, the governor spoke in support of the bill, which creates the first-in-the-nation state-level effort to end concentrated child poverty.
“Our administration has crafted a plan to unleash the full power of engagement to tackle child poverty in Maryland – and it’s called the ENOUGH Act,”
said Gov. Moore. “Fighting child poverty isn’t just the priority of a single administration – it is the shared aspiration of our state. This is why our legislation calls on community leaders across Maryland to come together and create comprehensive plans on how to make their neighborhoods better and do it in partnership with schools, civic centers, local elected officials, health clinics, and other key institutions. Together, we will target the places most in need of our help – and we will uplift these communities.”
The ENOUGH Act (SB 482/HB 694) uses neighborhood-based interventions in communities with disproportionately high numbers of children living in poverty—rural, suburban and urban. For too long, communities in Maryland have experienced multi-generational poverty and its consequences—which include higher rates of crime, fewer educational and economic opportunities, and decaying housing.
The ENOUGH initiative will give communities support to address the root causes of poverty in their neighborhoods, working across sectors - including education, health, workforce, housing, and community safety. State funding will be used to leverage federal, local and philanthropic resources. Because poverty does not look the same in every neighborhood, ENOUGH communities will work with community organizations, non-profits, anchor institutions, local schools, local governments, and other key community members to build a plan of action tailored to local needs and assets.
Governor Moore has set aside $15 million in this year’s budget to fund the initiative in its first year. The program will be run through the Governor’s Office for Children.
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