Maryland Kinship Caregiver Respite Care and the National Family Caregiver Support Program

If you're 55 or older and raising a relative's child, you're managing two full-time roles at once — and the burnout is real. Maryland's connection to the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) under Title III-E of the Older Americans Act funds respite care, supplemental grants, and support services specifically for older kinship caregivers. Unlike TCA or SNAP, this isn't cash assistance for the child's needs — it's support for you.

What Title III-E Covers

The National Family Caregiver Support Program in Maryland is administered by the Maryland Department of Aging (MDoA) and delivered locally through Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) and the Maryland Access Point (MAP) network. The program does not provide direct monthly cash grants. Instead, it funds:

Respite care: Short-term childcare so you can attend medical appointments, handle errands, rest, or simply have a few hours to yourself. Respite can be provided in-home by a trained aide, or through approved childcare facilities. The amount and frequency depend on local AAA funding levels and availability.

Supplemental grants: Small grants to cover child-related expenses that fall outside regular benefit programs — school supplies, tutoring fees, summer camp enrollment, emergency clothing. These are typically one-time or periodic disbursements, not recurring monthly payments.

Caregiver support groups: Structured peer groups where older kinship caregivers meet regularly to share experiences, coping strategies, and resource information. These groups are often the only space where grandparents raising grandchildren can talk to people in the same situation.

Information and assistance: Help navigating public benefit programs, healthcare systems, and legal resources. MAP staff can connect you to local DSS offices, legal aid, and community resources.

Who Qualifies

To access Title III-E services as a kinship caregiver, you must be:

• Aged 55 or older
• Raising a minor child (under 18) who is not your biological child
• Providing care due to parental absence — the same qualifying hardships recognized elsewhere (incarceration, substance abuse, death, illness, abandonment, military deployment)

There's no formal income test for Title III-E services, though some AAAs may prioritize caregivers with the greatest need when demand exceeds available funding.

How to Connect

Contact Maryland Access Point at 1-844-632-8472 or visit marylandaccesspoint.info. MAP operators will connect you to your local Area Agency on Aging, which manages the actual service delivery in your county.

You can also search for your local AAA through the Maryland Department of Aging. There are local AAAs covering every jurisdiction in the state — from rural Western Maryland to Baltimore City to the Eastern Shore.

The local AAA manages service delivery. Ask it about intake, respite availability, grant applications, and support group enrollment in your area.

Title III-E vs. Other Programs

Unlike TCA, SNAP, and MCHP, Title III-E provides supportive services for the caregiver rather than monthly cash grants for the child's needs. If you receive a reimbursement or grant, ask the local AAA and DSS how to report it.

Title III-E is a separate older-caregiver support program. Ask the local AAA which services are available if the child is in a formal child welfare placement.

For the full picture of financial help available in Maryland — cash, food, health coverage, childcare, energy assistance, and the caregiver support programs covered here — the Financial Help for Relatives Raising a Child in Maryland guide puts every program in one organized system with tracking worksheets for each application.

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