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
1.4 / 5| 5 | |
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May 18, 2020
Can get no help, stay on hold for hours just to get hanged up on.Call back feature will not cal l you back
Mar 30, 2020
Horrible service. On the line forever! Even stayed on line for 1 hour for the system to disconnect. Only reason for my call.... they called me. Never needed city help before. Hope I never again!
Aug 09, 2019
This agency encapsulates everything that is broken in the United States government.
Jun 04, 2019
If I could give this government agency zero stars I would. Very poor customer support. They assume you are a deadbeat father and treat you very rude. It's a disgrace to the state of the MD where I was born and raised. I hope the Governor does something to change the way this system is set up. They seem like a middleman shop that just deals with a lot of deadbeat fathers. Please don't assume we are all fathers that don't care about our children. Some of us just happened to marry bad people who use and abuse the system to their full advantage (my opinion).
May 13, 2019
They DO NOT answer the phone at all or return calls. This place handles critical and vital issues. However, the staff is rude and could care less about the needs of MD citizens.