Together, we can help Maryland's children thrive! Whether you're a parent, grandparent, caregiver, or kinship family, 211 is here to connect you to to community supports.
Whether it's help with the children in your care or with essential needs, we're stronger as a community when we all have what we need to be well.
Quickly Find Essential Resources for Children
Connecting Grown-Ups
Find community information and resources by choosing a category below.
Benefit Programs
Benefit Programs & Resources
Families must have access to essential needs like food, housing, clothing and diapers. These are not just everyday needs; they also help support a child's healthy development. At 211, we connect families to the essentials, whether that's a food pantry or an assistance program for rent or utility bills.
myMDTHINK Benefits
Benefits are available from the state for help with food, utilities, or cash assistance. myMDTHINK is Maryland’s one-stop gateway to public health and human services. It's now quicker and easier to find resources that support community resilience.
Check eligibility by answering a few questions about your household - people, income/assets and living expenses.
Check Eligibility | Apply for Benefits
The applications are separate for other benefit programs that support children and families.
Learn about applying for benefits through:
WIC - food and nutrition support for pregnant women, new moms and children
Maryland Health Connection - health insurance
Find Child Care
Through the LOCATE: Child Care program, the Maryland Family Network connects families to child care providers and financial assistance for those who qualify. It's a free and confidential program.
LOCATE: Child Care can help in finding:
- center-based care facilities
- private Kindergarten
- private nursery schools
- Head Start
- special needs services
- school-age and after-school programs
The organization also has Family Resource Specialists who can help with applications for the child care scholarship.
How to connect with LOCATE: Child Care
Use LOCATE services by:
- Searching for a provider through LOCATE: Child Care
- Calling 1-877-261-0060 Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. to talk with a Family Resource Specialist about child care services and the child care scholarship. For children with special needs child, call 1-800-999-0120.
- Completing an online intake form and a LOCATE: Child Care referral specialist will call back within three business days.
Some of these providers may be Head Start facilities, which provide no-cost child care and school readiness programs to families who qualify. Head Start (including Early Head Start) supports children from birth to age 5.
A child care scholarship may also be available to help offset costs.
Paying for Child Care With A Scholarship
The Child Care Scholarship (CCS) Program helps eligible families pay for child care and early education programs. You may also know it by names such as the Child Care Subsidy, Purchase of Care Voucher or Subsidy Voucher.
CCS provides a yearly voucher. Families may also be required to pay a co-payment of between $0 and $3 per week or additional fees to cover the child's tuition.
Scholarships are available to eligible families with:
- a child younger than 13 years old, or
- an individual 13-19 years old with a qualifying disability
View an eligibility checklist and answer a series of yes and no questions to find out if you qualify for the scholarship. Also view the latest income guidelines from the Maryland State Department of Education.
Applications are completed through the Child Care Scholarship Family Portal and require documentation. Completed applications are processed within three business days.
Working Parents Assistance (WPA) Program
There may be additional resources available through your county as well. For example, the Working Parents Assistance Program (WPA) is a private-public fund run by volunteers that provides child care subsidies to eligible families in Montgomery County.
The WPA program offers a slightly higher maximum income qualification, enabling more people to qualify for financial support. The Montgomery County Government website details the Working Parents Assistance Program and the eligibility guidelines.
If you're ready to apply, fill out an application for WPA in English or in Spanish.
211 is Here to help
It can be confusing to navigate resources. Speak to a trained resource specialist by dialing 211 or search the comprehensive resource database. These are some of the top searches.
- Early Childhood Education (Judy Centers/Head Start)
- Extended Child Care
- After-School Program
- Summer Programs
- Child Care Expense Assistance
Child Development
In the earliest stages of life, a child's brain is rapidly developing. While the brains of teens and adolescents are built on the foundation laid in early childhood, they are still under construction during the later years. Each stage presents an opportunity for the learning and skills that follow. Together, we can promote healthy child development by paying attention to the contexts, environments, and conditions that support healthy development.
Helping Children Develop
Each developmental stage presents opportunities to make a difference in our children's lives so they can thrive.
We are committed to helping Maryland families. The Maryland Information Network, which powers 211 services in Maryland, is a backbone organization with Maryland Essentials for Childhood. That's a statewide initiative to prevent adverse childhood experiences and promotes positive ones.
They connect science, policy, and people with:
- Tools for grown-ups like the Brain-Building Toolkit.
- Connecting grown-ups to community support through the resource database we power.
- Advocating for policies that help families.
Ensuring grown-ups are connected to community supports can help children thrive!
We all play a role in supporting childhood development - if we think about resilience as a scale where positive experiences get stacked on to counterbalance negative ones, we can see that this is not just a job for parents and caregivers. Grown-ups throughout the community can make a difference.
Vroom makes learning fun
Vroom is a great tool to help grown-ups make learning fun for children ages 0-5. Parenting tips make learning part of playtime, mealtime, bedtime, and any other time of day.
You don't need special toys or gadgets. Interaction is the most important factor in helping children's brains develop.
Tracking Milestones
The Maryland Infants and Toddlers program helps parents and caregivers support children in reaching milestones and developmental goals by breaking down what you can expect at every age. With their milestone chart, select a child's age and quickly view the developmental milestones and red flags to watch for.
Early Intervention
If you suspect a developmental delay with speech, walking, eating or something else, talk to your pediatrician.
Early intervention services help children have a better chance of reaching their full potential. The earlier the services begin, the better. More than 68% of children who received early intervention services in Maryland were in general education classes by third grade, according to Maryland Infants and Toddlers.
Maryland Infants and Toddlers
For questions about a child’s development or a suspected delay for a child under three years old, request a free evaluation from the Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program.
If the child's delay is greater than 25% in one or more areas, the child demonstrates atypical development or behavior or has a qualifying diagnosed condition, they may be eligible for the free early intervention program.
The early intervention program can provide services for children until three years of age. These may include:
- speech/language services
- physical therapy
- occupational therapy
How to request early intervention help
Parents and caregivers can refer their children to the Maryland Infants & Toddlers early intervention program, or may be referred by a health or education provider, child care or social service provider or a staff member from the NICU or hospital.
Request an evaluation by:
- Creating an account with Maryland Infants and Toddlers
- Using your account access to complete a referral
The referral may lead to an evaluation and services for those who qualify.
For questions, call a local Infants and Toddlers program, located in counties throughout the state. You may find the office in the Health Department, public school system, Health and Human Services Office or Board of Education.
Parenting & Caregiver Support
Parenting HelpLine:
1-800-243-7377
The Family Tree provides a free and confidential 24-hour parenting helpline in Maryland.
All parents and caregivers want their children to thrive, but it's not always easy. All of us need help from time to time along the way, and the community has your back! It takes all of us working together to raise resilient children.
The Family Tree's 24-hour Parenting Helpline is a free and confidential way to get parent and caregiver support. They provide confidential advice and community resources.
You can also learn about parenting classes, strengthening the parent-child relationship and creating positive childhood experiences on 211's parenting support page.
Kinship Caregiver Support
There are also support programs for caregivers, whether through the kinship program or foster care. If you're caring for someone else's child in your home 24/7, you may be a kinship family and not know it. You may qualify for benefits and support through Maryland's kinship programs.
211 also has a texting program that connects you to resources and support.
Preventing Child Abuse And Neglect
When families are overloaded with stress, the ability to care for children’s needs can break down.
If you are or know a family who needs support, dial 211.
Child abuse and neglect
When caregivers can’t or don’t attend to children’s physical and emotional needs, the effects can be serious and long-lasting.
When neglect occurs, children miss out on essential building blocks of health and well-being.
When children face prolonged harsh physical punishment or other forms of abuse, and don't have the supports to buffer this exposure, it can cause a “toxic stress” response that negatively affects a child’s brain, body and behaviors.
We can prevent child abuse and neglect by supporting our families to meet children’s needs. Support is available for families and for children who have experienced the adversity of neglect or abuse.
Reporting Potential Mistreatment
We all have a role in making sure that children are safe, free from abuse or neglect.
Watch this video from the Maryland Department of Human Services to learn more about the signs of child abuse and neglect.
CPS PSA Know the signs from DHS Communications on Vimeo.
Community members who suspect potential child abuse or neglect can share concerns with law enforcement or a local social service agency.
To make a report, find the Children’s Protective Services agency near you. Reports can be anonymous.
