Maryland DHS Family Investment Administration: What Kinship Caregivers Need to Know

When you start applying for benefits for a grandchild or relative's child in Maryland, you'll run into a web of acronyms — DHS, FIA, LDSS, DSS — and it's genuinely confusing which office does what. Understanding the structure saves you from spending weeks calling the wrong number.

The Three Layers That Control Your Benefits

Maryland's public assistance system runs through three levels, each with a distinct role.

Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS) is the state-level agency that sets policy. DHS doesn't process your individual application — it writes the rules that local offices follow, publishes payment schedules, and maintains COMAR Title 07 regulations that govern cash, food, and energy programs.

Family Investment Administration (FIA) is the division within DHS that specifically handles TCA cash assistance, SNAP food benefits, and emergency assistance. When you see references to "FIA forms" like DHS/FIA 9701 (the main Application for Assistance), this is the branch responsible. FIA publishes administrative transmittals — like AT-IM 25-12, which set the current TCA payment standards — and manages compliance statewide.

Local Departments of Social Services (LDSS) are your actual point of contact. Maryland has 24 LDSS offices — one for each of the 23 counties plus Baltimore City. These offices employ the eligibility specialists and caseworkers who review your application, conduct interviews, request verification documents, and ultimately approve or deny your benefits.

Who Makes the Decision on Your Case

This is the part that trips up most caregivers: your caseworker at the local DSS is the person with statutory authority to approve, adjust, reduce, or terminate your assistance. Not the DHS state office, not the FIA policy team, and not a Kinship Navigator.

When you call the state DHS Customer Service Center (1-800-332-6347), they can answer general policy questions and escalate stalled applications, but they cannot overrule your local caseworker's eligibility determination. If your application has been pending past the 30-day processing standard without action, the state line is a useful escalation tool — but the decision still happens at the county level.

Finding Your Local DSS Office

Your local DSS is determined by where you live, not where the child previously lived or where the biological parents reside. Each of the 24 jurisdictions operates independently, so processing timelines, interview scheduling, and even the physical office setup vary by county.

The most direct route is MarylandBenefits.gov — the unified portal that replaced myMDTHINK — where you can apply online, upload documents, and check status regardless of which county you're in. If you prefer paper, Form DHS/FIA 9701 can be dropped off, mailed, or faxed to your local office.

Why the Structure Matters for Child-Only TCA

When you apply for child-only Temporary Cash Assistance, you're telling the local DSS to evaluate only the child's income and exclude yours entirely. This distinction — between you as a "non-needy caretaker relative" and the child as the sole assistance unit — is governed by COMAR 07.03.03.07-1.D(6). Your local caseworker applies this rule. If they mistakenly include your income in the budget, the correct response is citing the specific regulation and, if needed, requesting a supervisor review.

The Financial Help for Relatives Raising a Child in Maryland guide maps every agency, form, and deadline you'll encounter — from the initial TCA application through SNAP, MCHP health coverage, and childcare subsidies — with tracking worksheets so nothing falls through the cracks between DHS offices.

Understanding which office holds the power over your case — and knowing the exact regulation that protects your retirement income from counting — is the difference between a clean approval and months of appeals.

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