Lynne Foss, Director Wendy Weeks, Special Counsel-Lead Attorney
Child Support Information and Resources
Anne Arundel County Sheriff’s Office
Circuit Courthouse
7 Church Circle
Annapolis, MD 21401
410-222-1495
410-222-1262 fax
Community Initiatives
The Office of Community Initiatives and Programs meets the specific and dynamic needs of families, children and vulnerable adults in Anne Arundel County. The office administers outreach programs, provides services and recruits volunteers and students to assist the agency. Contact Tanya Steele Clements, Division Director, at (410) 269-4462 or community.programs@maryland.gov.
Holiday Sharing matches donors to seniors and/or families in need during Thanksgiving & Christmas. Donors shop for food, clothing, and toys for the holiday and personally deliver to the household. Volunteers staff the office from the end of September until January 1st. This program has been in operation for 42 years at DSS. For questions please contact us at 410-269-4462 or HolidaySharing.aacodss@maryland.gov. To become a monetary donor, please use the “Donate” button below
The excitement for children to return to school this year will be wonderful for so many students!! New backpacks, notebooks, and school supplies!
Share that memory by assisting a child who needs help getting ready for the next school year. For 35 years we have assisted elementary school children in low income families start the school year with the necessary supplies to be successful in school.
Here’s how the program works:
Donors (individuals, businesses, churches, schools, organizations, and groups) are matched with children in need of school supplies and are provided a standardized list of the required supplies. The donors purchase supplies and backpacks and deliver them to the Counseling Office at the child’s elementary school the 2nd week in August.
On average, school supplies cost between $50 and $75, depending upon the child’s grade in school.
It’s easy to help! Simply fill out the Back to School Donor Form below and submit it to us. Beginning in July, we’ll e-mail you the name of a child (ren) you can help. Please check your SPAM filter for correspondence. For more information, contact the Back to School Program office at 410-269-4462 or community.programs@maryland.gov.
This is a joint program between the Anne Arundel County Department of Social Services and the Anne Arundel County Public Schools. The program matches donors with children in elementary schools who are in need of school supplies and backpacks. Donors shop and deliver the supplies to the schools in the County. Volunteers staff the office from July-August.
To become a monetary donor, please click on the “Donate” button below. To purchase backpacks and school supplies for a student or mail in a check, please fill out the form below.
This program creates a lay fund to support activities that benefit foster children in the Anne Arundel County Department of Social Services and the Court Appointed Special Advocates Program (CASA). Expenditures from this fund are only for items and services not covered under any current Federal, State or County budgets. Volunteers are needed to talk to the jurors at the Circuit Court in Annapolis, Tuesdays and Thursdays – 9:00 am – 9:30 am.
Under the homeless services is the Homeless Coordinator. The Homeless Coordinator works closely with the homeless service providers and shelters in the county and manages the homeless database (Homeless Management Information System). Homeless services include Anne Arundel County’s Street Outreach Team, Housing Case Management, and Coordinated Entry for Emergency Shelter. Homeless services also include the coordination of the Annual Homeless Point In Time Survey and the Annual Homeless Assessment Report.
If you are currently experiencing homelessness and need resources or services you can contact the Coordinated Entry Screening line Monday – Friday between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm at 410-417-7260.
Volunteer Mentors are matched with at-risk youth in the Child Welfare Program. Mentors are trained to work one-on-one and in-group settings with children in a structured year-long relationship. The mentors work as part of a team with our social workers. The mentors act as positive role models providing guidance and support. Male mentors are especially needed. Contact community.programs@maryland.gov
The Representative Payee Program provides banking and bill payment services to physically and/or mentally impaired Anne Arundel County adult residents who are not fully capable of managing their limited income retirement/social security checks. Clients must be able to direct the use of their funds and are actively engaged in spending decisions. Trained Representative Payee volunteers who have completed a thorough application and background check process commit to meeting with their clients on a monthly basis. There is no fee for this service.
Representative Payee Advisory Board: The Advisory Board meets on the second Tuesday the month in January, April, July and October at 10 a.m. Please call 410-269-4460 for the location. Portions of this meeting will be held in closed session.
Referrals to this program are made by various county agency social workers or by contacting a Maryland Access Point (MAP) representative at 410-222-4257.
Volunteer Description:
The Representative Payee Program seeks volunteers to provided banking and bill payment services to physically and/or mentally impaired Anne Arundel County adult residents who are not fully capable of managing their limited income retirement/social security checks. Volunteer Representative Payees complete a thorough application process including a state and FBI background check and training. Volunteers are reimbursed for their travel expenses.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer Representative Payee, please call 410-269-4460.
Volunteers are used throughout the agency assisting units and aiding programs. The agency places 20-25 students each year. These students are completing a field placement in social work for school credit. Students may be from a community college, college or graduate school level.
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
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
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!
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 inspected 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.)
