Maryland Department of Human Resources

What Maryland Department of Human Resources does

The Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS) is the executive-branch state agency of Maryland responsible for administering federal and state social services programs, operating under the authority of the State of Maryland. It delivers a unified portfolio of programs including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA), Medical Assistance (Medicaid/MCHP), SUN Bucks summer nutrition, the Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP) serving up to 200,000 households, child welfare services (Child Protective Services, Out-of-Home Care, Adoption and Guardianship), Child Support Services, Adult Services for vulnerable adults, Homeless Services, Workforce Development, and refugee resettlement support through the Maryland Office for Refugees and Asylees.

DHS delivers these services through an omnichannel infrastructure consisting of 24 local county offices (covering all 23 Maryland counties plus Baltimore City), a statewide toll-free phone hotline (1-800-332-6347 with TTY and Maryland Relay support), and digital self-service portals including marylandbenefits.gov for unified benefits applications and ub.benefits.maryland.gov for an eligibility screener. The department operates under formal oversight structures including the Office of the Inspector General, Citizens Review Board for Children, State Council on Child Abuse and Neglect, and an active Consent Decree with an Independent Verification Agent. On February 3, 2025, DHS entered into a Voluntary Resolution Agreement documenting ongoing compliance remediation.

DHS is funded through Maryland state government appropriations combined with federal matching grants for SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, LIHEAP, child welfare, and refugee programs. Services are provided at no direct cost to eligible Maryland residents. As a government entity, DHS has no private shareholders, venture investors, or commercial revenue model; it is accountable to the governor and Maryland legislature and operates as part of the state's public sector service delivery apparatus.

Name

Maryland Department of Human Resources

Legal name

Maryland Department of Human Services

Website

https://dhr.maryland.gov

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Maryland Department of Human Services is a Maryland state government agency that administers federal and state social services programs—including SNAP, Medicaid, child welfare, child support, energy assistance, and homeless services—to eligible Maryland residents through 24 local offices, a statewide hotline, and digital portals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Social Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Social Assistance (624), Community Housing Services (62422), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423), Community Food Services (62421), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial Human Services & Benefits Administration (Welfare, Disability, Child & Family) (BPAIABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local Public Health & Human Services Administration (BPAIACAK), Income Support & Cash Assistance Programs (BPAIAKAE), Food & Nutrition Assistance Programs (BPAIAKAF), Healthcare-Linked Social Benefits Administration (e.g., Medicaid/Means-Tested Health Coverage) (BPAIAKAH), Family & Child Benefits Administration (Child Allowance, Parental Leave) (BPAIAKAD), Social Care & Long-Term Care Benefits Administration (BPAIAKAK)

Keywords

• Social services administration
• Government benefit programs
• Food assistance programs
• Child welfare services
• Energy assistance programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices25 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. State and Federal Government Funding: The department is funded through Maryland state government appropriations and federal government grants and matching funds for social services programs including SNAP, Medicaid, child welfare services, and energy assistance programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Maryland Department of Human Services administers a range of state and federal social services programs for eligible Maryland residents, including food assistance (SNAP, SUN Bucks, MEFP), cash assistance (TCA, Emergency Assistance), medical assistance (Medicaid, MCHP), energy assistance (OHEP), child welfare services (Child Protective Services, Foster Care, Adoption), child support services, adult protective services, homeless services, and workforce development. Services are delivered through 24 local county offices, a statewide phone hotline, and digital portals including MarylandBenefits.gov and an eligibility screener.

Product overview

The Maryland Department of Human Services is a government agency offering a unified platform of social services programs rather than a single commercial product. The portfolio consists of multiple interconnected service programs including benefit assistance programs (SNAP, TCA, SUN Bucks, Medical Assistance, energy assistance), child and family services (Child Protective Services, Adoption, Foster Care), and workforce development. These programs are supported by digital service portals including MarylandBenefits.gov for online applications, an eligibility screener, and application status checkers. Services are delivered through a network of 24 local county offices across Maryland, with the various programs designed to work together to support vulnerable individuals, families, and children.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Federal food assistance program providing monthly benefits to eligible low-income individuals and families to purchase nutritious food.
• Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA) Monthly cash assistance program for eligible families with children to help meet basic needs.
• SUN Bucks Summer nutrition benefit program providing food assistance to families with school-age children during summer months.
• Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP) Energy assistance programs helping Maryland households with utility bill payments and energy efficiency.
• Medical Assistance Health coverage programs including Medicaid and Maryland Children's Health Program (MCHP) for eligible individuals and families.
• Child Support Services Services to help establish, enforce, and modify child support orders, including paternity establishment and payment processing.
• Child Protective Services Statewide system to receive reports of child abuse and neglect, investigate allegations, and provide intervention services.
• Out-of-Home Care (Foster Care) Foster care services providing temporary placement for children who cannot remain safely in their homes.
• Adoption and Guardianship Services facilitating the adoption of children in foster care and supporting guardianship arrangements.
• Adult Services Services for vulnerable adults including adult protective services, respite care, and social services to adults.
• Workforce Development Employment and job training programs helping SNAP recipients and other Marylanders gain skills and find employment.
• Homeless Services Programs addressing homelessness including emergency shelters, prevention programs, and supportive housing services.
• Maryland Benefits Application Online portal allowing Marylanders to apply for multiple benefits including SNAP and other assistance programs in a single application.
• Eligibility Screener Online tool helping Marylanders determine what benefits they may qualify for through a 5-minute questionnaire.
• MyOHEP Status Checker Online portal for checking the status of home energy assistance applications.
• Safe Haven Program allowing parents to safely surrender newborn infants at designated locations without fear of prosecution.
• Maryland Emergency Food Program (MEFP) Emergency food distribution program supporting food banks and emergency feeding organizations across Maryland.
• Emergency Assistance Emergency financial assistance for Maryland families facing crisis situations such as eviction, utility shut-off, or other immediate needs.
• Temporary Disability Assistance Short-term cash assistance for disabled Maryland residents who are awaiting approval for federal disability benefits.
• Burial Assistance Financial assistance to help low-income Maryland families with burial and funeral costs for deceased family members.
• Maryland Office for Refugees and Asylees Integration services for refugees and asylees who have resettled in Maryland, including employment, case management, and cultural orientation support.
• Maryland Legal Services Program Legal services program providing free legal assistance to eligible low-income Maryland residents for civil legal matters.
• Transportation Assistance Transportation assistance program helping Marylanders access transportation services to work, medical appointments, and other essential destinations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Energy assistance programs available to 200,000 Maryland households

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles10 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• New Jersey Department of Human Services:

Direct peers

• Pennsylvania Department of Human Services: Pennsylvania's statewide human services agency administering SNAP (called SNAP), TANF, Medicaid, child welfare, and LIHEAP-equivalent programs through county assistance offices. Direct structural peer: same state-department scale, federal funding mix, and county-office distribution model as Maryland DHS.
• California Department of Social Services: California's state agency administering CalFresh (SNAP), CalWORKs (TANF), Medi-Cal eligibility linkage, foster care, adoption, and in-home supportive services. Comparable in program scope and digital-application portal architecture (GetCalFresh, BenefitsCal) to Maryland DHS's marylandbenefits.gov.
• Virginia Department of Social Services: Virginia's state agency administering SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, foster care, adoption, and child protective services through 120+ local departments of social services. Closest geographic and functional peer to Maryland DHS given overlapping Mid-Atlantic service populations.
• Florida Department of Children and Families: Florida's state agency administering SNAP, TANF, Medicaid eligibility, child welfare, adoption, adult protective services, and homeless programs through regional circuits. Comparable in consolidated human-services mandate and ACCESS Florida online portal.
• New York Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance: New York State's lead agency for SNAP, TANF (Family Assistance), emergency assistance, and homelessness programs, working alongside the Office of Children and Family Services. Direct functional peer on cash assistance, emergency aid, and homelessness portfolios served by Maryland DHS.
• Texas Health and Human Services Commission: Texas's consolidated health and human services agency administering SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, child care subsidies, foster care, and energy assistance. Peer by virtue of similar consolidated-portfolio structure and eligibility-system consolidation (YourTexasBenefits.com).
• Illinois Department of Human Services: Illinois's state human services agency administering SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, child care, refugee services, and energy assistance through local offices. Direct peer to Maryland DHS given near-identical program portfolio and local-office distribution structure.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Federal umbrella agency that funds and sets policy for the SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, LIHEAP, and child welfare programs that Maryland DHS administers at the state level. Relevant as the upstream regulator and grantor, not a direct competitor; comparable in policy / program design even though delivery scope is national rather than state-specific.

Regional players

• District of Columbia Department of Human Services: Washington DC's combined human services agency operating SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, homeless services, child welfare, and refugee programs. Regional peer adjacent to Maryland DHS, serving a portion of the Maryland-DC commuter population with overlapping federal funding streams.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maryland-department-of-human-resources

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Maryland Department of Human Resources