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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Sep 29, 2022
UPDATE: Fortunately I was able to reach someone by messaging the department on Facebook and I got my benefits situated. Weird
I was scheduled for an interview to renew my EBT benefits. I never got a call on the date it was suppose to happen. They had the nerve to send me a letter saying I didn't keep my appointment and I have to reschedule. How can I reschedule when no one answers the phone, calls back, or answers emails? This is a fault on their end. I don't understand why I need this interview which is causing all my problems. I didn't need it during the pandemic and I submitted all of my required forms and documents. That worked out fine. Now my benefits might get cut off and I'll have to reapply and go through this whole process all over again. It's very frustrating that their incompetence has been an ongoing problem and nothing is being done about it.
Sep 28, 2022
I called up this center to find out about my food stamps because they shorted me for a whole year and owe me a lot back first of all they take forever to answer the phone you be on hold for a few hours and once someone answer they are very disrespectful to the point where I felt I needed to curse them out very rude
Sep 27, 2022
They send mail out late when you got the mail your case be closed they don’t pick up the phone have you wait until the end of the day & still nothing
Sep 20, 2022
They do not answer the phone…I’m so confused what they do all day everyday!! They can’t possibly be working on cases!!! Our cases just sit and sit and sit. And when you try to call. The wait times are ridiculous. And you have the option to schedule a call back and they NEVER call back. It’s ridiculous.
Sep 19, 2022
I don’t know how you can go into a field for social services and be completely void of empathy or common sense. People are rude and act like they are doing you a favor by taking your call or answering your questions. They lack compassion and understanding. Unfortunately the rest of us that are struggling to make ends meet need to endure this poor quality of service, and I can only hope that those that work for Maryland Human Services don’t end up in a position where they are treated like they treat us.