Baltimore City

Brandi Stocksdale, LCSW-C.
Director
Baltimore City DSS Administration Building
Talmadge Branch Building
1910 N. Broadway Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21213
Phone: 443-378-4600
TTY:443-378-6502
Hours of Operation:
8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Baltimore City Office of Child Support
Baltimore City Office of Child Support-East
1900 Howard Street, Suite 102
Baltimore, Maryland 21218
Baltimore City Office of Child Support-West
2401 Liberty Heights Avenue (Mondawmin Mall)
Baltimore, Maryland 21215
Hours of operation for the East and West locations:
Monday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
(8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. by appointment only)
Tuesday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. (8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. by appointment only)
First & Third Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Contact Information
The Family Invesment Administration assists people in need by administering a wide range of public assistance programs.
Primarily, we help low-income people as well as families and children in crises. We help low-income city residents access food stamps, medical assistance and temporary cash assistance help them pay their heating bills when they lack the income to pay it themselves.
Financial Assistance
Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (Food Stamps)
Assists low-income households to have a more nutritious diet by increasing their purchasing power.
- A household is defined as a group of people who live together, buy food and prepare their meals together.
- Everyone in the household MUST be included on the application.
- A household consists of parents and any children, married or unmarried under the age of 22, and any children they may have residing in the home.
- Adult children (22 or older) can be a separate household if they purchase and prepare their meals separately. The adult child would need to file a separate application.
- There can be several different household units in the same family, in the same home.
For example: A 3 generational home can have 3 separate households if all the generations are purchasing and preparing their food separately.
Monthly benefits depend on:
- number of people in the household
- amount of GROSS household income
- certain allowable expenses
Please Note: GROSS income is before taxes or anything else is taken out
Food Supplement is only part of the household’s monthly food budget! Households must spend some of their own cash along with their Food Supplement benefits in order to buy enough food for the whole month.
Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA)
Promotes individual responsibility and self-sufficiency through employment while providing a time limited cash assistance program for families with minor children.
- Provides financial assistance to families with children under 18 years of age
- Applicants MUST have a face-to-face interview.
- Family must meet income guidelines and complete specific requirements before the case can be approved.
TCA Requirements:
-
Pursue Child Support
Applicants must:
- Provide all available information on any non-custodial parent(s)
-
Cooperate fully with Child Support Enforcement Agency and the State’s Attorney’s Office
- Establishing paternity
- Enforcing court orders
Only certain circumstances may be determined as good cause for not meeting this requirement.
Please Note: You cannot receive Child Support and Temporary Cash Assistance! When you receive TCA, you assign your right to receive Child Support to the State of Maryland, who will collect and retain payments owed by the non-custodial parent(s) for the duration you receive TCA.
- Cooperate with Substance Abuse Screener
-
Participate in Work Activity
- Prepares participants for independence through employment
-
Includes job readiness program, volunteer work experience placement, and/or vocational education/training Applicants must:
- Begin before case is approved
- Complete number of assigned hours each week
- Provide attendance verifications on a weekly basis – Only certain circumstances may be determined as an exemption from this requirement.
Temporary Disabilities Assistance Program (TDAP)
Provides a time limited cash assistance program for individuals with a disability that prevents them from remaining in the workforce. Income for a spouse in the household will be used to determine eligibility
(Except for SSI benefits)
TDAP Requirements:
- Cannot be working
- Cannot have the capacity to work for at least 3 months
- Cannot be receiving unemployment benefits
- Disability (physical or mental) must be verified
- May have to apply for SSI and SSDI
- Must agree to reimbursement from SSI payment
- Must be U.S. Citizen or legally admitted alien for permanent residency
Food Supplement, TCA, and TDAP
Electronic Benefits System (EBT)
- Eligible households are issued an Independence Card, similar to a bank card, to use at the store.
- Cash benefits can be accessed from the ATM.
- Benefits are applied to the card monthly.
- If you would like to check the balance on your card or request a replacement card, please call: 1-800-997-2222. Please do not call the local office with questions about your EBT card!
Emergency Assistance for Families & Children (EAFC)
- Provides emergency cash assistance to families who need help paying an eviction notice, emergency fuel/heating shortage
- Must have at least one related child under 18 living in the household
- Must provide proof household can maintain on-going monthly rent and utilities
- Available to a household only once in a 24-month period
Medical Assistance (Medicaid/MA)
- Comprehensive health care insurance for aged, blind, and/or disabled adults and families with low income
- Amount of coverage varies based on income, and assets for certain types of coverage
- You MUST be US citizen or meet alien status and be a Maryland resident
Child Care Subsidy (CCS-formerly POC)
- Provides financial help with child care costs to eligible, low income families.
- If you apply, you will be notified by mail once the list has been opened.
CCS Requirements:
- Working, participating in approved school or training activity, or receiving TCA
- Pursue child support
What type of child care provider can I use?
- Licensed day care center or home
- Informal child care provider
- Person must be at least 18 years of age
-
Person can be a relative or non-relative
- If a non-relative, care must be provided in your home
- Person must consent to background check by Child Protective Services (CPS)
What should I bring when I apply?
- Proof of identity (driver’s license, Maryland ID card, etc.)
- Social Security numbers for everyone in the household
- Proof of address (lease, utility bill, etc.)
- Proof of income (recent pay stubs, benefit letters, etc.) for everyone in the entire household
- Proof of household expenses (recent utility bills, child care costs, recent doctor or hospital bills, etc.)
Public Assistance to Entrepreneurship (PA2E)

The Public Assistance to Entrepreneurship Program (PA2E) offers classes on starting a business. Courses are conducted virtually and/or in a classroom setting with other Department of Human Services (DHS) customers… Read More
Public Assistance Centers
Public Assistance Customer Service | 443-423-6400
Location |
Address |
Northeast Regional Office |
2000 N. Broadway Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21213 |
Dunbar-Orangeville Center |
2919 E. Biddle Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21213 |
Harbor View Center
|
18 Reedbird Avenue
Baltimore, Maryland 21225 |
Hilton Heights Center |
500 N. Hilton Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21229 |
Northwest Center |
5818 Reisterstown Road
Baltimore, Maryland 21215 |
Penn-North Center |
2500 Pennsylvania Avenue
Baltimore, Maryland 21217 |