Gov. Wes Moore has declared March to be “Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month” and we would humbly recommend that high on the list for greater “awareness” right about now ought to be the state of the Developmental Disabilities Administration. It does not require any particular expertise in the field to recognize that something is seriously amiss in that Maryland Department of Health agency. One day, Gov. Moore is announcing draconian cuts to the budget, the next he is backing off in the midst of public protests, the next officials are acknowledging that they don’t have a firm grasp on DDA finances.

If the whole mess could be distilled to two words, let them be the ones chosen by Maryland Department of Legislative Services fiscal and policy analyst David Romans: “black box.” At least that’s how he described the DDA’s uncertain and often inexplicable financial circumstances. “It’s never been easy to tease out what’s really driving changes in the budget, and that’s been true for decades,” Romans told a Senate committee in January.

It’s clear that health leaders don’t exactly know how the money is spent.

That’s a worrisome circumstance given how many Democrats in Annapolis are currently decrying Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency’s chainsaw-wielding attack on the federal budget. So while it’s fair to criticize the helter-skelter approach to spending cuts in Washington, D.C., there’s something to be said for at least knowing where the money is going in Annapolis. DDA funding has more than doubled over the last decade to a proposed $2.6 billion in the next fiscal year. That’s not the primary driver of the state’s projected $3 billion deficit but it’s not loose change in a $67 billion overall spending plan either.

What makes this especially concerning is that DDA’s work is crucial to helping people with intellectual and developmental disabilities live independent and productive lives. This involves providing resources for families and making sure people have access to appropriate services, to jobs and housing, to appropriate care and training, perhaps to assistive technology and transportation. Much of it revolves around self-determination and allowing families and those who qualify for assistance — a child with Down syndrome, for example — to make important decisions about their futures.

Small wonder that Moore’s initial plan to cut at least $90 million from the current DDA budget and perhaps $235 million or more from the fiscal 2026 drew loud protests from the thousands of families who depend on the agency’s programs. The governor’s subsequent decision to restore most of this year’s funding and dial back on next year’s reduction was welcome news, of course. But it remains unclear just how this may impact the DDA’s mission — and whether the state will continue to meet federal Medicaid requirements.

Nor can Marylanders upset by this uproar find comfort in calling for the resignation of Health Secretary Dr. Laura Herrera Scott. She’s already resigned effective Friday, her two-year tenure having included a number of controversies including problems with the Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center, the 250-bed maximum-security forensic psychiatric hospital in Jessup where there was a reported patient death and riot. Her replacement, Meena Seshamani, the former deputy administrator at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, is expected to take over in April.

Can Marylanders be confident that the DDA will now be on the right foot and showcase exemplary service and efficiency? There’s no reason to believe it won’t immediately return to full “black box” mode. And given cutbacks that may be coming to CMS, it’s fair to assume that things could get worse. And that’s why lawmakers should not leave Annapolis at the conclusion of their 90-day legislative session next month without a plan to investigate, better manage and perhaps significantly reform the work of the DDA.

We believe the majority of the people living in this state support the DDA’s mission but it’s hard to believe they have much faith in the health department’s ability to spend tax dollars wisely, efficiently and effectively to achieve the agency’s goals. It is that kind of doubt that gives rise to more whirlwind and fraught exercises like the DOGE. Maryland must do better at trimming waste while preserving essential services. Too many lives hang in the balance.