Part of CEO’s 'Opportunity 2030' blueprint, the partnership strengthens the state’s SNAP E&T system to provide paid, work-based learning for those returning from incarceration
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Claire Gross, Sr. Manager of Public Relations
cgross@ceoworks.org | (646) 370-8292
Baltimore, Maryland–September 3, 2026–The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) is excited to announce a synergistic partnership with Maryland Department of Health and Human Services (DHS) and Family Investment Administration (FIA) that will strengthen connections to workforce development programs and unlock funds through Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment & Training (SNAP E&T).
This collaboration emerges from Opportunity 2030, CEO’s national blueprint to lay the foundation for the reentry infrastructure America has long needed. By 2030, CEO aims to expand from 12 to 20 states, unlock $750 million in government investment, such as SNAP E&T, and reach 127,000 justice-impacted people, building a national reentry network where everyone returning from incarceration has access to income, stability, and opportunity on day one.
“Everyone who wants to work and contribute to their community should have the opportunity to do so,” said Sam Scaheffer, Chief Executive Officer of CEO. “Training alone isn't enough. To truly open doors for people coming home, we must bridge the gap between building skills and earning a living. We know what works: connecting people to paid on-the-job training as soon as they return from incarceration. Through Opportunity 2030, we are partnering with organizations across the country to unlock untapped SNAP E&T funding and build the infrastructure needed to make paid employment pathways accessible to everyone returning home.”
Maryland is ripe for innovation since its SNAP E&T program already authorizes a broad range of SNAP E&T activities and operates statewide. CEO and Maryland DHS will collaborate on a 9-month technical assistance partnership to expand the state’s SNAP E&T system by:
As H.R. 1 implementation rolls out, state agencies and nonprofits are bracing for seismic policy shifts that will inevitably and exponentially multiply hardship for people who rely on social programs. In March work requirement criteria for SNAP eligibility expanded, and on January 1, 2027, for the first time in the program's history, Medicaid will compel enrollees to meet work requirements. Instituting work requirements in both of these life-saving programs is estimated to result in an additional 5.3 million people becoming uninsured over the next ten years and a reduction in SNAP participation of 3-3.5 million people per month.
CEO is committed to doing everything it can to mitigate the harm these policies will cause. In order to effectively solidify pathways to employment and lasting independence, especially for justice-impacted people, there must be significant investment in subsidized training programs that allow people to hone profitable skills to build family sustaining careers.
As work requirements become mainstays of crucial social programs, cementing access to SNAP E&T is critical. When organizations can build out programming that connects workforce training to stable income, it allows people who face barriers to traditional employment, such as justice-impacted communities, to fulfill their work requirements, earn an income, and simultaneously build toward a career.
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About the Center for Employment Opportunities
The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) provides immediate, effective, and comprehensive employment services exclusively to people recently released from incarceration. CEO currently operates in 30 cities in 12 states and is dedicated to ensuring justice-impacted people have opportunities to achieve socioeconomic mobility. For more information, visit ceoworks.org.