Maryland Department of Human Services
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Contact Information
310 West Saratoga Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
United States
Online Contact Form
Baltimore, MD 21201
United States
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday | 8:30 AM-5 PM |
| Tuesday | 8:30 AM-5 PM |
| Wednesday | 8:30 AM-5 PM |
| Thursday | 8:30 AM-5 PM |
| Friday | 8:30 AM-5 PM |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
There are many Maryland children waiting to be part of a family. Some of the children have special educational, emotional, or medical needs; this information is confidential and does not appear in the children's descriptions. More detailed information about the children can be shared with adoptive parents as they are completing the adoption preparation process.
Foster Care is a temporary Service that provides short-term care and supportive services to children who are unable to live at home because of child abuse or neglect. Foster children live in family foster homes and group care settings.
All Maryland counties and Baltimore City operate foster care programs. Foster care caseworkers work with the birth and foster families to develop the most appropriate permanency plan for each child. Reunification with parents, placement with relatives, or adoption are examples of permanency plans. If for some reason a child cannot reunite with their family, the child, depending on their age, receive services that teach them to be independent young adults.
Services and information
- Traditional Foster Care
- Emergency Foster Care
- Respite Foster Care
- Adoption
Requirements to become a foster parent
Understanding the licensing requirements is the first step, as they vary by state. In Maryland, potential foster parents must meet the following criteria:
- 21 years of age or older
- Live in a safe home, either a house or an apartment
- Undergo a criminal background check and fingerprinting
- Remain financially stable
- Able to support a child financially
- Undergo a medical examination
- Attend a medical reexamination every two years
- Provide three references
- Attend necessary parent training/education courses
- A minimum of two home visits by an approval worker
- Child support clearance
- No use of physical punishment allowed
- Receive a fire inspection and health clearance from local departments
The foster care agency you work with will help you to meet these qualifications. They answer your questions, provide parent education training, conduct home visits, and more. As such, they'll be your first point of contact as you prepare for your first placement.
Remember that it will take time to go through the approval process. The home study takes the longest, consisting of lots of paperwork, interviews, inspections, etc. However, you'll be a licensed foster parent in Maryland when it's over.
Ratings and Reviews
Average user rating
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Jun 11, 2021
New website is very difficult to navigate and the people there are not there to help you.
Jun 10, 2021
If I could give them a negative star, I certainly would. As a person who prefers to conduct my business online, auto pay, online apps, the whole works, having to call and wait a whole hour and 22 minutes just to be transferred and put back on hold to wait even longer, I am more than perturbed. The only reason I was forced to call is the online portal is circular, one site points you to another and once you go to that site, you are referred back to the first site. The automated phone number is no help either so I really needed to SPEAK TO A REPRESENTATIVE- SMH.
I cannot believe that wealthiest state in America is run this poorly. Totally frustrating.
Apr 29, 2021
The new website or links leave much to be desired. There is a lot of information missing after going through tons of resets and codes to access information. Only to find out the information isn't there.
Apr 23, 2021
Horrible service, I have been calling 5 or 6 days for days and Ms. Carrie or Kerry Watkins never answers her phone, voice mail is full. I need an status update on a Background, this agency received my application/documents back in February and now it is the end of April. This is a joke.
Mr. Governor please do something about the Maryland Department of Human Services, Social Aministration, In Home-Services. These employees are being paid for services that they do not provide to the public. Or automate the systems and get ride of these people. No excuses, we are all working during this pandemic and they need to do their jobs
Apr 13, 2021
Update: Still the worst with no one intelligent enough to help. This agency is a joke. The state should be ashamed. Worst communication ever. Been waiting for them to call me back within 10 days every freaking month since November 2020. I’d give y’all a negative star if I could.