OFI Maine Office Locations and How to Use MyMaineConnection for Benefits

If you are raising a grandchild or relative's child in Maine, OFI handles eligibility for TANF, SNAP, and MaineCare. Child care assistance is the Child Care Affordability Program (CCAP), administered by DHHS's Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS). Knowing where to go and how to apply saves hours of guesswork.

What OFI Handles

The Office for Family Independence is the division of Maine DHHS that determines eligibility for:

• TANF child-only grants (cash assistance for the child without counting your income)
• SNAP (food supplement benefits)
• MaineCare (Medicaid health coverage for the child)
• Child care subsidies are handled separately through CCAP and OCFS

OFI operates regional district offices across the state and also accepts applications through a centralized processing facility in Farmington for paper submissions.

Finding Your Regional OFI Office

OFI maintains district offices in Augusta, Bangor, Biddeford, Lewiston, Machias, Portland, Rockland, Sanford, and Skowhegan, among other locations. Each office handles intake for its service area.

To find the office nearest you:

1. Call the OFI main line: 1-855-797-4357 (toll-free)
2. Visit the DHHS District Office Locations page to find current office locations
3. Dial 211 — Maine's community resource line can also direct you to your local OFI

When calling, ask for office hours, walk-in availability, and whether your area requires an appointment for new applications.

Applying Online Through MyMaineConnection

MyMaineConnection is Maine's online benefits portal. You can apply for TANF, SNAP, and MaineCare in a single application. Here is how to navigate it as a kinship caregiver:

Create an account with a valid email address. Have the child's Social Security number or proof that you have applied for one; OFI may request identity and other verification after you file.

Select the programs you want — you can check boxes for multiple benefits at once. For a child-only TANF application, you are applying on behalf of the child, not for yourself. The system will ask about household members and income; enter the child's information separately from yours.

Upload documents directly through the portal. If submitting on paper, mail or fax them to OFI's Farmington office, or bring them to a district office. Required documents typically include:

• Proof of the child's identity (birth certificate, Social Security card)
• Proof of your Maine residency (utility bill, lease)
• Proof of relationship to the child (birth certificates showing the family connection, school records, a letter from the parent)
• Child's income documentation, if any (child support orders, Social Security benefit letters)

Submit and track your application — MyMaineConnection lets you check your application status, view notices from OFI, and report changes in your household.

Tips for a Smoother Application

Apply for everything at once. A single MyMaineConnection application can trigger eligibility reviews for TANF, SNAP, and MaineCare simultaneously. There is no penalty for applying to programs you may not qualify for.

Note the non-needy caretaker sections. As a non-parent specified relative, your income and assets are generally excluded from the child's TANF determination. If you claim the child as a dependent for federal income-tax purposes, Maine's manual counts half of the child's full need standard as unearned income when setting the benefit.

Print or screenshot your confirmation. After submitting online, save your confirmation number. If your application gets delayed, this number lets the regional office locate it quickly.

Follow up within 10 days. If you haven't heard back, call your regional OFI office with your confirmation number. Applications can stall when a document is missing, and the portal doesn't always send a clear alert.

Paper Applications

If you prefer not to apply online, you can pick up a paper application at your nearest OFI office or request one by phone. Completed applications can be mailed to the OFI central processing center in Farmington or hand-delivered to a district office. DHHS describes My Maine Connection as the fastest way to submit information to OFI.

Getting Organized Before You Apply

The Maine Kinship Financial Help guide includes a master document preparation checklist built specifically for kinship caregivers navigating OFI. It covers exactly which papers to gather, what to bring to your appointment, and how to track your application through every stage.

See more Maine guides →