How Much Does Foster Care Pay in Maryland?

Maryland, like many states, faces a critical need for foster parents willing to open their homes and hearts to children in care — over 4,000 children in foster care are looking for loving homes in our state right now.

Foster parents play an essential role in providing stability, love, and nurturing to children who need it the most.

While the emotional rewards of fostering are plentiful, it's important to acknowledge the costs of caring for a child — food, clothing, educational needs, and extracurricular activities can all add up. There’s no price tag on the joy and health of a child, but budgeting and expenses are just part of the world we live in.

To help with these costs, Maryland offers a monthly stipend to foster parents — just like many other states. This financial support ensures that foster children have access to the resources they need for a fulfilling and healthy life.

• This stipend is not a form of income or employment.
• Instead, it's a supportive measure to help foster parents provide for a child's needs.
• That’s why prospective foster parents in Maryland need to have a stable source of income independent of the state's financial assistance. 

Here’s what you need to know about the foster care stipend in Maryland.

What Influences the Maryland Foster Care Stipend? 

In Maryland, as in many other states across the U.S., the amount of the foster care stipend is influenced by two primary factors:

1. The age of the child - In Maryland, the stipend provided to foster parents varies based on a child in care’s age.
   • This variation acknowledges that the needs and costs associated with caring for a child change as they grow.
   • Younger children may require different forms of care and resources compared to teenagers, and the stipend is structured to reflect these varying needs.
2. Medically complex care needs - Some foster children are living with complex medical needs that require more intensive care and resources.
   • Foster parents in Maryland who care for children with complex medical conditions are often eligible for an increased stipend.
   • This enables them to give children the necessary care and attention for a better quality of life.
3. Therapeutic care needs - Children in foster care may have experienced trauma or may be recovering from neglect and abuse.
   • These situations often come with specialized care and support, which can incur higher costs.
   • In Maryland, foster parents caring for children with such backgrounds may receive a higher stipend to ensure they can provide the best possible care.

Maryland calculates the foster care stipend on a monthly basis. The primary goal of these stipends is to enable foster parents to meet a child's needs effectively, whether those needs are basic or more specialized.

Stipend Rates in Maryland

In Maryland, the stipend rates are as follows based on information from the Maryland Department of Human Services:

• For an infant through 11 years of age, $887 per month
• For children aged 12 and over, $902 per month

This is for traditional foster care — for children who require additional support, Maryland has intermediate foster care rates:

• For an infant through 11 years of age, $1,008 per month
• For children aged 12 and over, $1,024 per month

These rates may differ depending on the organization you partner with — for example, Mentor Foster Care, a part of the Sevita family, has a therapeutic foster care rate of $51 per day and a medically complex foster care rate of $71 per day.

Other Financial Support in Maryland

Foster parents in Maryland may also have additional support options outside of the monthly stipend.

For example, Medicaid provides comprehensive coverage for medical and dental issues for children in care in Maryland. 

The best option is to contact your organization, and they can outline the support that you can receive. For instance, Mentor Foster Care will also provide foster parents with some of the essentials that are required by the state of Maryland for a foster home, such as:

• Fire extinguishers
• Lockboxes
• CO detectors
• First aid kits
  
  

Want to Change a Child's Life but Not Sure Where to Start?

Looking for more information about foster care in Maryland?

It's important to get answers to all your foster care questions. Get the support you need every step of the way with The Beginners Guide to Foster Care.

You’ll get an understanding of foster care basics, actionable tips to connect with children in care, and much more!