How Long Does It Take to Become a Foster Parent in Maryland?

The most common question people ask before starting the Maryland foster care process is how long it actually takes. The state's official answer is "approximately 120 days." The real answer is: it depends on which of the state's 24 counties you live in, how quickly you schedule your fingerprints, and whether you catch the PRIDE training cycle in time.

Here is a realistic picture of the timeline, phase by phase.

Step One: The Information Meeting (Days 1–14)

Your first action is not calling the Maryland Department of Human Services in Baltimore. That is the number one mistake new applicants make, and it typically results in being redirected through a confusing chain of state offices. Instead, you need to contact the Local Department of Social Services (LDSS) in the county where you live.

Each LDSS runs its own foster care program under Maryland law. Some offices maintain a dedicated recruitment line — sometimes called a "Welcome Line" — and hold orientation sessions monthly or quarterly. To find yours, search "[your county] Department of Social Services foster care" or call your county's main social services number and ask specifically for the foster care recruitment coordinator.

The information meeting itself is typically 60–90 minutes. It covers eligibility basics, the licensing steps, and what the agency expects from resource families. Attending this meeting is required before you can begin the formal application.

Step Two: Pre-Application and Background Checks (Days 15–45)

After the information meeting, you submit your initial application and begin the background check process. This is where the timeline gets unpredictable.

Maryland requires fingerprint-based criminal history checks through both the Maryland Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) and the FBI. If you use a Live Scan (electronic fingerprinting) site such as an Identogo location, state results typically return in 4 to 7 days. If you use a manual fingerprint card instead, the same check can take 61 to 180 days. Always use Live Scan.

Additional background checks during this phase include a search of the Maryland Central Registry for child abuse and neglect history, a Sex Offender Registry search, a certified driving record from the MVA, and — if you have lived outside Maryland in the last five years — protective services clearances from those prior states. The out-of-state requests are one of the most common sources of unexpected delays. Request them as early as possible.

Step Three: PRIDE Pre-Service Training (Days 30–90)

Maryland's pre-service training program is called PRIDE — Parent Resources for Information, Development, and Education. Baltimore City uses a similar program called MAPP (Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting), but PRIDE is standard across the other 23 jurisdictions.

The requirement is 27 hours of instruction, typically spread across nine sessions of three hours each. For therapeutic foster care, the requirement rises to 28 hours. You also need to complete First Aid and CPR certification, Safe Sleep training if you plan to care for infants, and medication administration training.

The biggest scheduling risk with PRIDE is that the classes are run by your county, not the state, and cohorts fill up and close. In Montgomery County or Prince George's County, where volume is high, a new cycle may start every few months. In Garrett County or Caroline County, a cycle might run twice a year. If you miss the current cohort, you could wait three to six months for the next one. Contact your LDSS to ask when the next session starts before you assume one is available.

Some counties have introduced virtual or hybrid formats, which helps with scheduling. Ask your recruiter specifically whether online PRIDE modules are accepted, as practice varies by jurisdiction.

Step Four: The Home Study (Days 60–120)

The home study runs in parallel with training. A social worker from your LDSS will conduct at least three in-home visits. These include individual interviews with each adult in the household, a joint interview, and a physical safety inspection of the home.

During the safety inspection, the assessor checks for functioning smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on every floor, firearms stored unloaded and locked separately from ammunition, all medications and cleaning supplies inaccessible to children, cordless window coverings or secured cords (required under Angel's Law for coverings installed after 2010), and pool fencing requirements if applicable. Minor failures — a dead smoke detector battery, a pet's lapsed vaccine — require a follow-up inspection and add time to the clock.

You will also need to submit three personal references. At least two must agree to a personal interview with the worker, and only one may be a relative. Delays occur when references do not return agency questionnaires. Follow up with your references personally.

Medical exams for all household members, including TB tests, must be completed by a licensed physician. In rural areas — particularly on the Eastern Shore in counties like Somerset and Caroline — scheduling can take months due to physician shortages. If you are in a rural jurisdiction, book your physical as soon as you begin the process, not at the end.

Step Five: License Issuance and Placement Queue

Once your background checks are clear, training is complete, the home study is approved, and all documents are in order, your LDSS submits everything to issue your license. You then enter the placement queue. A placement can happen within 24 hours of licensing or may take several weeks depending on the needs and ages of children in your local area.

The formal 120-day estimate assumes no major delays. In practice, applicants who start all phases simultaneously — submitting fingerprints, scheduling physicals, and registering for PRIDE training in the first two weeks — tend to finish close to that mark. Those who approach it sequentially often find the process stretching to six or nine months.

The Maryland Foster Care Licensing Guide consolidates the county-specific requirements, LDSS contact directories, training schedules, and home inspection checklists into a single resource so you can move through each step without losing weeks to fragmented state websites.

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