We envision partnering with the community and residents of Dorchester County to empower and strengthen vulnerable individuals and families to self sufficiency, independence, health and wellbeing.
Mission
We will respectfully assist families and individuals of Dorchester County with a safety net of services to help them maintain, and/or enhance their quality of life; and to prevent abuse, neglect, and the exploitation of the community’s most vulnerable.
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
Frequently Asked Questions
Financial Assistance
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.
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.
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
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!
Lock Your EBT Card: Keep your Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card benefits safe from thieves by using the EBT Card Lock/Unlock feature. To use Card Lock, download the ConnectEBT app on your mobile device or login to your account at https://www.connectebt.com/mdebtclient/. To learn more, scan this QR code with your mobile device camera or go to our website, www.dhs.maryland.gov/prevent-ebt-theft/.
Sign Up To Get EBT Card Transaction SMS Text and/or Email Alerts: Use the ConnectEBT app on your mobile device or login to your account at https://www.connectebt.com/mdebtclient/ to sign up for text and email alerts when your card is used or your account information changes:
New Transaction Alert – Receive an alert for every transaction including purchases, returns, deposits, etc.
Changes to Your Account Information – Receive an alert whenever your account information changes including your address, PIN, password, etc.
If you believe your card is compromised, order a new card, immediately change your PIN and turn on Card Lock.
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 21 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
The Child Care Scholarship Program provides financial assistance with child care costs to families that meet applicable State or federal eligibility requirements.
Child Care Scholarship Requirements:
Parent must be engaged in an approved work, education and/or training activity
Meet all eligibility requirements
Pursue court-ordered, voluntary or have “Good Cause” for not pursuing child support
What type of child care provider can I use?
Licensed child care center or home
Informal child care, non-relative child provider
If a non-relative provider is selected, care must be provided in home of the child
Relative provider must be at least 18 years of age
The Informal Provider must consent to Criminal Background Check, Out-of-State Criminal Background Check for any residency outside of Maryland within the past 5 years and complete a Child Protective Services (CPS) clearance.
Provider must successfully pass a Health and Safety exam
Home of the child must be expected annually and pass the Health and Safety Monitoring
Payment will not be made until all documentation is received, all clearances are returned without any disqualifying events, and the provider has been approved by the Office of Child Care. Process could take at minimum 60 days. Parents meeting all CCS eligibility requirements have the option of using licensed care until the informal provider is approved.
Informal child care, relative child care provider
If a non-relative provider is selected, care can be provided in the home of the child or the relative provider
Maryland defines a relative provider as the following relationship to the child: Grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles and older siblings not in the household count of the customer applying for CCS services. Any other relationship, for example, cousin or great-aunt, will be considered as a non-relative information provider and must meet the above criteria
Everyone residing within the home that is age 18 or older must consent to Criminal Background Check, Out-of-State Criminal Background Check for any residency outside of Maryland within the past 5 years and complete a Child Protective Services (CPS) clearance.
Informal provider must be at least 18 years of age
Payment will not be made until all documentation is received, all clearances are returned without any disqualifying events, and the provider has been approved by the Office of Child Care. Process could take at minimum 60 days. Parents meeting all CCS eligibility requirements have the option of using licensed care until the informal provider is approved.
For an application or additional information on the program visit: Money4ChildCare.com
Medical Assistance
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
Families with Children
Children under 19 only
Families with unmarried children under 21 residing with parents
Pregnant women
Receiving SSI, TCA, foster care benefits, or DJS (Juvenile Services)
Adult Households
Aged (65 or over)
Verified Blind
Verified Disabled
Receiving SSI or SSDI
Receiving Medicare Part A or B from SSA
Effective January 2014 for Adult Households
Aged (19 yrs-64 yrs)
Not disabled
Former Foster Care Child
You can apply for Medical Assistance even if you have:
Private health insurance
Third party coverage
You can apply for Medical Assistance to cover medical bills for the 3 months prior to the month of your Medical Assistance application (retroactive coverage) if you have outstanding medical expenses.
If your income is over the limit, you may still qualify under a “spend down” provision, which would require you to be responsible for a certain amount of medical expenses before coverage begins.
Covered Services may include:
Doctor appointments
Inpatient and outpatient hospital care
X-ray and laboratory services
Prescription medication
Emergency dental care
Family planning services
Limited transportation to providers of covered services
Home health services, physical therapy, personal care services
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.)
