FY 2026 Guardianship Assistance Block Grant Award Summary

The Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) awarded the Maryland Department of Human Services $881,660 in block grant funding on October 1, 2025, under the Title IV-E Guardianship Assistance Program (CFDA 93.090) for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026. This award supports the provision of guardianship assistance payments to relatives who have assumed legal guardianship of eligible children transitioning from foster care. The program's primary objective is to remove financial barriers that delay permanency and enable children to establish secure, legally recognized family arrangements with relative guardians rather than remaining in the state's foster care system.

As the designated state administrator for the Guardianship Assistance Program, the Maryland Department of Human Services will utilize these funds to process guardian assistance payments, maintain required financial and programmatic records, and manage program administration including eligibility determinations and compliance documentation. The block grant funding is distributed quarterly based on estimated expenditures, with actual allowable claimed expenditures verified and reconciled against quarterly estimates submitted to the federal agency. Recipients must comply with Title IV-E planning requirements and federal financial management standards outlined in 45 CFR Part 75 and 2 CFR Part 200.