Raising kids can be a costly business for new parents. It’s even harder for single moms who frequently experience difficulty making ends meet. Without a second income, and with the costs and demands of childcare — this can lead to a perfect storm of financial stress. There are many resources and single mom grants available to help make their lives easier. Thus, they can focus on raising their children with balance and confidence.
Government Single Mom Grants
Several programs are available through the government to help low-income families with resources, some of which are specifically helpful for single mothers. These initiatives provide basic sustenance, welfare, shelter, and juvenile childcare assistance.
- Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). A USDA program that offers nutrition assistance to low-income pregnant, postpartum, or breastfeeding mothers and their children up to the age of five.
- National School Lunch Program. Provides free or reduced-price lunches to school-age children, a great source of school-year nutritional support.
- Summer Food Service Program. This program serves nutritious meals to low-income children during school breaks, bridging the nutrition gap over the summer.
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP benefits are distributed on a debit card to recipients to help them pay for healthy food at participating grocery stores and retailers.
- Emergency Food Assistance Program. This program provides food assistance to low-income single parents, families, and individuals, offering them a vital safety net during times of need.
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). TANF offers money and grants for families to be self-sufficient. However, it requires applicants to take certain steps that are in the application form.
- Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). LIHEAP offers energy grants and assistance. They support single parents and others with the cost of some of their home energy bills or other energy-related home repairs.
- Head Start. This one provides free preschool for children ages five and younger. Early Head Start programs are also available, and they cater to pregnant women, toddlers, and infants.
- Child care tax credit. Parents can deduct childcare expenses (for kids 13 or younger) from their taxable income; this can produce considerable savings.
Single Mom Grants for Health
- Medicare: Most often, Medicare is for people over 65, but some under 65 are eligible in limited cases.
- Medicaid: It provides low-income families with medical assistance through programs administered by the individual states, with eligibility guidelines determined by each state.
- Insure Kids Now: This program offers children and teens free or low-cost health insurance through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). It provides additional help for parents who cannot afford health insurance.
Mining for Scholarships and Grants for Single Mothers
There are also hundreds of scholarships and grants intended solely for single moms who are seeking higher education, in addition to government programs. This enables single mothers to pursue their degrees and improve their odds for higher, long-term earnings.
- Pell grants: These grants specifically target low-income college students and provide money that does not need to be paid back. Recipients must fill out the FAFSA every year in order to keep the grant, and the amount varies.
- Teach Grants: For those working towards becoming teachers, after completion of the program, recipients must teach for four years in a high-need field at an eligible low-income school.
- Women’s Independence Scholarship Program (WISP): Offering financial assistance to victims of domestic violence who are pursuing educational goals; applicants must be US citizens, have separated from an abusive partner for at least a year, and either be enrolled at a university or aspiring to enroll.
- Global Fund for Women: This organization that helps strengthen women’s groups around the world by empowering them to find solutions for local, regional, and transnational problems. develop local, regional, and transnational challenges.
Single Mom Charities
Global charities are set up to help single moms, providing financial assistance, resources, and community support.
- Single Parent Project: This organization provides single parents with 6 months of financial support to help them stay on the right path.
- HOPE, Inc.: HOPE, Inc. provides rent and childcare assistance and life skills training to enable low-income single parents to ultimately become self-sufficient (currently providing service in the Metro Atlanta area).
- Help a Mother Out: This nonprofit delivers diapers to families in need, plus has a central diaper bank in the San Francisco Bay Area and partner diaper banks across the nation.
- Helping Hands for Single Moms: This charity aids low-income single mothers working towards college diplomas with emergency funds, car repair, legal support, and other perks (in Dallas, Texas, and also Phoenix, Arizona).
Crowdfunding: A 21st Century Option for Single Moms
Crowdfunding websites such as GoFundMe and Fundly provide an effective way for single mothers to raise money for all needs, including medical bills and educational expenses. On these platforms, single moms pour out their hearts to connect to their local communities, urging them to open up their wallets and help with child support.
Success Stories on GoFundMe
GoFundMe is a free online fundraising platform and a proven leader in online fundraising. It has millions of users and no costs to start or run a fundraiser. It offers a donor protection guarantee and lets users withdraw money as soon as donations start flowing in.
- Help Michelle, a single mom in need: Teacher and single mother raising her son and suffered financial hardship after losing her parents. This GoFundMe was created by her friend, and it went above and beyond the goal.
- Help a Loving Mother and Her Children Heal: A Palo Alto teacher and mother-of-three faced eviction over her financial struggles. So, Palo Alto Renters Association led a GoFundMe campaign that received over $3,000 to assist her in securing housing.
These are just two examples of many success stories of crowdfunding for single moms.
Conclusion
Single moms are the backbone of their families and a lifeline to their communities. So, they should have access to resources and support they need to succeed. They can find financial lifelines by researching the different government programs, scholarships, single mom grants, charity organizations, and crowdfunding opportunities available to help them through difficult times. Thus, they can create a more stable future for themselves and their families.
Check these single mom quotes to help you keep going. Also, check these 9 dating apps for single parents to find a match. And follow us on us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest guides and tips.
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