The Department of Human Resources provides vital services to Maryland’s children and those who are most vulnerable among us. We simply can not do this important work without partners like our resource parents, who help us provide safety, well being, and permanence for children in out-of-home care.
To help support the efforts of our resource parents, the Department of Human Resources and the Social Services Administration has established this website where foster care policies and other important information may be easily found in one place. New and updated information will be added regularly, so be sure to check in often.
If you require information about a policy, please click on it. It is there for your review. Sometimes the information may be complicated or you may have specific questions. Refer to the specific item, and ask your worker for an explanation or clarification. If you are still having difficulty, you may contact our Foster Parent Ombudsman at 410-767-7561.
I hope you find this website to be a useful tool. I want to take this opportunity to thank our resource families for all they do for our children and for their collaboration with the local departments of Social Services.
Ted Dallas
Secretary
Financial
- MEMORANDUM- Adoption Subsidy Reconsideration Requirements, Oct 2008
- MEMORANDUM- Intermediate Foster Care Rate Requirements, Dec 2008
- SSA 00-06 Temporary Cash Assistance-CARES-Foster-Kinship Care Payments
- SSA 08-16 Differential Board Rates For Public Family Foster Care
- SSA 09-13 Day Care Services For Children In Out of Home Placement (This policy directive supercedes Circular Letter SSA-08-17)
- SSA 10-26 Adoption Tax Credit
- SSA 11-07 Background Checks for Prospective Resource Parents
- SSA 11-22 Post-Adoption Services Permanency Program (formerly Post Adoption Services Pilot Program)
Foster Child Specific
- MEMORANDUM – Services to Graduating Foster Youth
- MEMORANDUM- Relative Notification of Child Placement in OHP May 2009
- SSA 02-06 Maryland Safe-C assessment Policy Directive
- SSA 04-05 Time Limited Voluntary Placement
- SSA 06-08 Runaway Policy
- SSA 07-07 Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement (APPLA)
- SSA 08-08 Providing Services to Native American Children
- SSA 08-18 IV-E Eligibility of minors in foster care and their dependent children
- SSA 09-21 Maryland Drug Exposed Newborn Protocol Policy
- SSA 09-22 Semi-Independent Living Arrangement Subsidy Payments
- SSA 10-02 Child Specific Agreement
- SSA 10-05 Child Fatality Serious Physical Injury Critical Incident Protocol Policy
- SSA 10-06 Exit Policy for Youth 18 Years and Older Reentry Policy for Youth-18 yrs up to age 21
- SSA 10-09 Child Removal Petition and Order Requirements Policy
- SSA 10-11 Placement Protocols for children in OHP
- SSA 10-13 Transitional Planning for Youth-Benchmarks
- SSA 10-22 Minor Parent Policy
- SSA 10-24 DJS and DHR Dually Involved Youth Populations
- SSA 11-08 Adoption Incentive Funds
- SSA 11-12 Graduation- High School Senior Expenses
- SSA 11-13 Timeframe Requirement Conversion
- SSA 11-16-Maryland Youth Transition Plan
- SSA 11-20 Maryland Youth Transition Plan – Health Care Agent
Foster Parent Specific
- MEMORANDUM CPS Findings in Resource Home March 2011
- MEMORANDUM- Utilization of MARE, Feb 2009
- SSA 06-11 Child Placement Information Form
- SSA 06-12 Foster Parent-Caregiver Notification
- SSA 07-05 Aftercare Services for Out-of-Home Placement
- SSA 08-24 Sibling Placement and Visitation
- SSA 09-05 Guidelines for Early Identification and Location of Custodial and Non-Custodial Parents
- SSA 09-09 Caseworker Visitation with Child in OHP
- SSA 09-14 One on One Support Services
- SSA 09-18 Behavioral Support Management
- SSA 09-19 School Enrollment and Decision-making for Children in State-supervised Care
- SSA 09-28 Psychiatric Respite Admissions-Discharge-Monitoring Criteria (Respite Admissions Reporting Form)
- SSA 10-08 Family Involvement Meetings (FIMs)
- SSA 10-12 Children with Disabilities – Voluntary Placement Agreement
- SSA 10-20 Compliance with Federal and State Technical Requirements for Criminal and Protective Services Background Checks
- SSA 11-10 Window Covering Safety For Resource Homes – Angel’s Law
- SSA 11-11 Family Unification Program (FUP) Guidelines
- SSA 11-17 Big Brother Big Sister of Central MD Guidelines
- SSA 11-19 Guidelines for Foster Care Board Rate
- SSA 11-21 Guardianship Assistance Program Policy
