Unmarked graves at Maryland juvenile site examined by US researchers

Georgetown University researchers are documenting hundreds of unmarked graves at the former House of Reformation and Instruction for Colored Children in Cheltenham, Maryland, and the Forgotten Children Initiative aims to identify the buried children and locate descendants; Maryland's juvenile services agency has received funding and a bill has been introduced to create a commission of inquiry.

Researchers from Georgetown University are examining hundreds of unmarked graves at the former House of Reformation and Instruction for Colored Children in Cheltenham, Maryland. The site contains children who died between 1877 and 1939 while in a segregated juvenile facility. The Forgotten Children Initiative is documenting identities, seeking descendants, and preserving the children's legacies while reviewing historical records and testimonies that report neglect. Key findings: - Records and researchers report that the graves date from 1877–1939 and that those buried were Black children who died while in custody. - The Forgotten Children Initiative and Georgetown investigators have located descendants of six of the buried children and have documented numerous unmarked graves at the site. - Maryland's Department of Juvenile Services has received funding to identify how many children were buried and to restore graves, and a bill has been introduced in the state legislature to create a commission of inquiry into the facility. Summary: The investigation has renewed attention to historical deaths and reported neglect at the former juvenile facility and has begun limited identification and genealogical work. The announced state funding and the proposed legislative commission are the next public steps for documenting burials and supporting restoration efforts.