Popular Financial Help for Single Parents

If you are a single parent in the United States, there are numerous financial assistance programs available. Did you know that single mothers head 80% of single parent homes in the US? This is why there tend to be more programs targeted towards single female parents, although many programs are open to male or female single parent families. Generally, these programs are provided by the federal government, yet administered at the state level.

There are also many national and local non-profits and religious based organizations that provide assistance as well.

Popular Financial Help Programs for Single Parents Include

TANF
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families provides an additional boost in income for the poorest families providing up to 60 months of extra income as long as the parent participates in work activities on a monthly basis.

SNAP
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is the current food stamp program providing affordable and healthy meals for needy single parent families. SNAP provides a pre-loaded debit card to be spent at approved food vendors.

WIC
Woman, Infants and Children Program provides a nutritional supplement to nursing mothers, pregnant woman and children under 5 years old. This program is generally given preference to those already receiving TANF assistance.

 
Child Care Assistance Program
This program, administered by states generally requires co-payments from families based on their income on a sliding scale. The program is meant to aid parents in having child care during a job search, career training or attending a certified school program.

Head Start
This program is a holistic for the most needy families providing a fairly comprehensive coverage program for children from birth to aged five including medical, dental, child and parental education and is completely free. You must apply at your closest Head Start program administrator.

Section 8 Rental Subsidy
Provided by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), you can apply through the Office of Public Housing at your nearest HUD office for up to a 70% subsidy on rent and utilities. You are responsible for the remaining 30%.

LIHEAP
The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program is meant to help needy families to help pay for energy bills associated with heating and cooling their homes. LIHEAP is administered by your state and eligibility falls to the most vulnerable segments of society such as single parent families with low incomes.

Medicaid
Health insurance benefits program that is provided to those considered to be low income or very low income, Medicaid was expanded by “Obamacare”  in 2014 to include those at 138% of the poverty level. This has allowed millions of single parent families to become eligible for health insurance coverage.

CHIP
Children’s Health Insurance Program is a gap health insurance program that provides health insurance for children of families that are not eligible for their State’s Medicaid program, yet still cannot afford health insurance on their own.

NSLP
The National School Lunch Program provides free or heavily discounted meals for low income families in certain areas and schools. If you are receiving food stamps from the SNAP program, your children automatically qualify for the NSLP.

Pell Grant
The federal Pell Grant is the largest student aid program that gives money based on financial need. If you are a low income single parent family this grant program can be the difference between sending your child to college with a grant that is free and does not need to be repaid.

Every program above is available to both male and female single parent families and can make a large difference in the quality of life for your children. Be sure to apply for as many programs as you can.

 
Additional Money Assistance Resource for Single Parents

Programs for single dads – Whilst most programs are for all single parents, there are some specific programs to help fathers. Get financial assistance with shelter, food, childcare, transportation and more.

Programs for single moms – As mentioned, single moms make up the majority of single parent households. As such, there are more programs available to help with this large percentage of family homes. There are essentially subsidies and support programs for every household need for struggling single parent homes.

Learn about free diapers – For single parents with infants, you know diapers can be one of your greatest expenses. Get info on what options may be available near you for cheap or free diapers.

Free baby items – When on a tight income, it can be hard to purchase all the necessary items needed for babies. Learn about different organizations that provide a range of baby items – things like baby furniture, insurance help, food and other items.

Free school supplies – Kids just aren’t cheap and when on a low income, finances can become overwhelming. No parent wants their child to feel different when going to school and many organizations work to prevent that. Get the items your child needs to flourish in school free.

Free car help – One of the most important item of any household is a vehicle to get the family around from point A to point B. Whilst public transport can be great in some areas, having the independence of a car may be needed to keep a household running. Learn about free car assistance for low income families.

Free toys - When on a tight income, it can be hard to provide the kids with non-essential household items such as toys. Fortunately, there are numerous programs that provide high quality pre-owned or new toys.

The above financial help for single parent programs just scratches the service of what is available to those that need it the most. Low Income Financial Help provides a host of other assistance programs for both national and local help.