Maryland Foster Care Home Study and Inspection: What to Expect

Failing the home inspection does not automatically end your application — but it delays it. And in Maryland's county-based system, where follow-up inspections need to be scheduled and licensing workers carry full caseloads, a single failed inspection can add two to four months to your timeline.

Running a self-audit before the official visit is the most practical thing you can do. This article covers what the licensing worker checks during the physical inspection, what the social worker evaluates during the home study itself, and the specific Maryland regulations that trip up most applicants.

The Physical Inspection: COMAR 07.02.25 Standards

Maryland's physical safety standards for resource homes are governed by COMAR 07.02.25. A licensing worker or fire inspector evaluates the home against these requirements before a license can be issued. Here is what they are looking for.

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Functioning smoke detectors must be installed on every level of the home and near each sleeping area. Carbon monoxide detectors are required on every level where there are sleeping rooms. "Functioning" means recently tested — a dead battery is a failed inspection item. Test every detector the week before your visit and keep a receipt if you replace batteries.

Firearms Storage

Maryland regulations are specific: firearms must be stored unloaded in a locked container. Ammunition must be stored in a separately locked container. Both containers must be inaccessible to children. A single locked gun safe that stores both the firearm and the ammunition does not satisfy the regulation — they must be stored separately. This is one of the most commonly failed items among resource families in rural Western Maryland and the Eastern Shore, where firearm ownership is higher.

Medications and Hazardous Materials

All medications — prescription and over-the-counter — must be stored in a location inaccessible to children, either in a locked cabinet or high enough that children cannot reach them. The same applies to cleaning products, pesticides, and other chemicals. Childproof caps are not sufficient — "inaccessible" means physically out of reach or locked.

Angel's Law: Window Coverings

This is the most frequently unknown requirement. Maryland law (referred to colloquially as "Angel's Law") requires that any window coverings installed after October 1, 2010, must be cordless. For older window treatments installed before that date, there must be no accessible or unsecured dangling cords.

This applies to every room in the house, including rooms that will not be used by the foster child. A single blind with a looped cord will stop your inspection. Walk through every window in your home before the visit. Cordless replacements from major home goods retailers are inexpensive and widely available.

Sleeping Room Requirements

• Each child must have their own bed
• Children over age 2 cannot share a sleeping room with an adult
• Opposite-sex siblings may not share a room unless both are under age 5
• Children sharing a room with same-sex peers must have adequate space for privacy, personal belongings, and study

The "adequate space" standard is evaluated subjectively by the licensing worker. There is no minimum square footage number in the regulations, but the worker assesses whether the room can realistically function as a living space for the number of children planned for it.

Pool Safety

If your property includes a pool:

• In-ground pool: Must be surrounded by a fence at least 4 feet high with a self-closing, locking gate
• Above-ground pool: Must have a retractable or removable ladder that can be locked or removed when the pool is not in use

Pets

If you have pets, they must be licensed with the local municipality and current on rabies vaccinations. The licensing worker will ask for documentation. Have records available.

Smoking

The home must be entirely smoke-free when children in care are present or being transported. This includes e-cigarettes and vaping as of the 2025 COMAR updates. If anyone in the household smokes, they must commit to doing so exclusively outside and away from children.

The Background Check Process

Background checks are required for all household members aged 18 and older — not just the applicants. If you have an adult child or a boarder living in the home, they are subject to the same checks.

What is checked:

• Fingerprint-based criminal history through Maryland CJIS and the FBI
• Maryland Central Registry for child abuse and neglect history
• Sex Offender Registry (Maryland and National)
• MVA driving record for all licensed drivers in the household
• If you have lived outside Maryland in the past five years: protective services clearances from those states

Fingerprint timing matters. Live Scan electronic fingerprinting (through Identogo or MorphoTrust) returns results in 4 to 7 business days. Manual fingerprint cards can take 61 to 180 days. Always use Live Scan. Submitting manual cards can delay your entire application by up to six months.

Out-of-state clearances can also be slow, particularly from states with high processing volumes. If you have lived in multiple states, request those clearances in your first week of the application process.

The Home Study: What the Social Worker Evaluates

The home study is a separate process from the physical inspection, though they overlap in timing. Your LDSS or CPA social worker conducts at least three in-home visits and evaluates your family using the SAFE instrument (Structured Analysis Family Evaluation).

Individual and joint interviews. The worker interviews each adult household member separately and together. They are assessing how each person understands foster care, how they handle stress, how they resolve conflict, and what their motivation is for fostering. Questions about your own childhood, your parenting philosophy, and your support network are standard.

The autobiography. You will be asked to write a personal narrative describing your background, significant life events, and why you want to foster. This is evaluated for insight and self-awareness, not literary quality. Be candid about challenges you have faced and how you worked through them.

References. Maryland requires three personal references. At least two must be interviewed directly by the worker. No more than one may be a relative. If your children are school-age, a reference from a school professional is also required. References who delay returning the agency's questionnaire are a common cause of application bottlenecks — alert your references that you have listed them and ask them to respond promptly if contacted.

Children in your household. If you have biological or adopted children at home, the worker evaluates whether each child understands what foster care means and is prepared for a sibling placement. An age-appropriate conversation with your children before the home study visit is worth having.

Common Reasons for Delays

In order of frequency:

1. Fingerprint processing — using manual cards instead of Live Scan
2. Out-of-state clearances not requested early
3. Window covering violations (Angel's Law)
4. Reference non-response
5. Separate ammunition and firearms storage not in place
6. Missing or expired pet vaccination records
7. Smoke detector or CO detector issues

Most of these are preventable with a pre-inspection walkthrough and by starting the background check process on day one of your application.

For a complete pre-inspection checklist, reference templates, and a breakdown of what the SAFE home study instrument evaluates, the Maryland Foster Care Licensing Guide covers the full home study and inspection process from application through first placement.

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