Maryland Department of Human Services

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Contact Information

310 West Saratoga Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
United States

Online Contact Form
DayHours
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
Rating breakdown
5
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2
1
If you have an experience with this agency, please write a review.
Jesse Dowling
Mar 27, 2017

First I would like to say you cannot get a hold of a person, 30 minutes ago I called to see what was going on and still i wait for the next rep. second, their paperwork is so far out of organization that I don't think they know what is going on. I have had several issues with the MD DHR while working with my

Rating: 1

brandy Graham
Sep 12, 2016

DHR child support is allowing my ex-husbands employer to keep my child support and make payments when he can. If this was my ex-husband he would be put under the jail. When I made the director aware, I was charged with telephone misuse because I called a staff member incompetent after communicating with them for two weeks to try my support case straight. This was 2yrs ago and I still am not getting my support. I am suing DHR for gross negligence.

Everyone here is rude because upper management allows it.

Rating: 1