Financial Assistance For Unemployed Single Moms

Motherhood can be one of the most impressive and beautiful experiences in one’s life. Single moms throughout the United States frequently struggle with income. Many single moms in America have to drop out of their careers to take care of their little ones. There are a vast number of single moms who are forced to give up on their career ambitions or postpone their dreams because of financial difficulties. Thankfully a lot of grants for unemployed single moms are available that can help them to make their dream come true. Grants for unemployed single moms are monetary assistance that educational institutions, trusts, organizations, corporations, or foundations throughout the USA award. These financial assistance programs and grants are free money and not loans; therefore, the beneficiaries need not pay back the amount they have received. An excellent benefit of these grants is that they are entirely tax-free.

How To Apply For Financial Assistance Programs For Unemployed Single Mothers?

Financial assistance programs and grants have helped unemployed single moms to provide high-quality medical care services, ensure a well balanced and nutritious diet, and many more supportive services. By becoming eligible for these financial assistance programs, you can reduce your family’s debt and avoid taking expensive loans to fund your needs. Strict guidelines regulate these grants for unemployed single moms. There are a lot of grants for single moms in the United States; therefore, locating them and applying for them can be an intimidating experience. Becoming eligible for a grant requires intense searching, applying as well as repeating the process until you succeed in receiving a grant for unemployed single moms.

One of the easiest and fastest ways to search for the sources which provide grants is to perform a Google search. You can follow the relevant links and check out the eligibility criteria for every program before applying. In many cases, you might have to send applications through regular mail. Besides online search engines, there are a lot of reliable websites which offer complete information to unemployed single moms about how they can apply for a grant and become successful. Before applying for the grant, ensure you have all information about the specific eligibility criteria for the programs. It is also advised to contact the foundation or corporation that offers grants to unemployed single mothers.

List Of Grants And Financial Assistance Programs For Unemployed Single Moms

There are a lot of grants for unemployed single moms that have helped needy women to provide a good standard of living for their families, pursue higher education, or start an exciting new career for themselves. These grants for unemployed single moms have helped them with food, clothing, shelter, healthcare, dental care services, child care assistance, rental and utility assistance, etc. Many of these grants have enabled unemployed single moms to become successful entrepreneurs or professionals in different fields, complete their education, start new businesses, locate good employment opportunities, etc. Following is the list of top grants and financial assistance programs for single moms that are available throughout the United States.

1. TANF, Temporary Assistance For Needy Families

It is one of the most common safety net programs designed for low-income families, including unemployed single moms. The main objective of this program is to enable low-income individuals and families to achieve self-sufficiency by providing temporary cash assistance and employment opportunities. Two types of TANF grants are provided throughout the United States, which are known as family grants and child-only grants.  Child-only TANF grants are designed to meet the needs of low-income children, and the grant award may be smaller than family grants. For instance, eligible children will get $8 daily based on their needs. The family TANF grant offers assistance for up to 60 months in a lifetime and enables eligible candidates to meet essential needs like food, clothing, and shelter. Unemployed single mothers living with children below 19 years of age must participate in employment activities for a minimum of 20 hours every week to be eligible for TANF assistance.

2. DCA, Diversion Cash Assistance

The Division of Cash Assistance offers alternative financial support to unemployed single moms during emergencies. This is why this program is known as the Emergency Cash Assistance Program. The program offers one-time grants instead of extended cash benefits. Qualified families will be eligible to receive a one-time grant of up to $1000 to meet their minor crises or emergencies. The grant award may vary depending on the severity of the emergency or financial crisis of unemployed single mothers.

3. SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

The main objective of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is to offer healthy and affordable meals to the neediest families. The primary beneficiaries of this program are low to no-income individuals and single mothers. SNAP is one of the most essential components of the United States’ safety net. For unemployed single moms and other poorest Americans, this program has become the only viable source of income assistance through which they can get a well balanced diet. This program is one of the most extensive anti-hunger programs in the United States. It has helped more than 40 million needy populations and enabled them to afford a nutritionally adequate diet. The largest recipient of this program are children under 18 years of age and belonging to low-income families. The food assistance comes in the form of an EBT or debit card through which eligible recipients purchase grocery and food items from the participating market or stores within their locality. If you’re an unemployed single mom, then you can apply for this program by filling out an application and submitting it to your neighboring local SNAP office.

4. Federal Pell Grant

One of the most extensive student aid programs in the United States is the federal Pell Grant which offers grants to needy students up to $6895 so that they can attend college. This grant is one of the best ways for unemployed single moms to go back to school as well as reenter the workforce. This is a need-based grant which need not be repaid, and single moms can use the free money toward their education. To apply for the federal Pell Grant, you must file FAFSA or a Free Application For Federal Student Aid within the deadline.

5. FSEOG, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant

This program is quite similar to the federal Pell Grant and offers supplemental financial support to students with the highest need, as determined by FAFSA. Single moms looking for financial assistance to support their education and afford college can apply for this program. The program prioritizes students with the highest financial need and lowest expected family contribution. This program also requires candidates to be Pell recipients. Supplemental grants between $100 to $4000 can be given to eligible students based on fund availability and students’ financial need.

6. WIC, Women Infants And Children Program

This is a federally funded nutrition program that offers free healthy food to eligible pregnant women, new moms-to-be, infants, and children below five years of age whom healthcare professionals consider to be at high nutritional risk. The WIC program is accessible throughout the United States and is a short-term nutritional program through which eligible recipients can receive benefits from six months to a year. Unemployed single mothers can apply for this program if they are at high nutritional risk and unable to offer a nutritional diet for themselves and their children. Eligible women will receive $11 every month to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, whereas low-income children can receive $9 every month. The program requires eligible candidates to be at nutritional risk and have an income less than 185% of the federal poverty level.

7. Medicaid

Medicaid is a health insurance program that offers health and medical benefits to low-income families without access to healthcare coverage. If you are a single mom and can meet the income criteria, then Medicaid can be a viable option to access medical care services even if you are unemployed. The federal poverty level can determine the eligibility criteria for the Medicaid program. The eligibility criteria for the Medicaid program may vary depending on your location. Nondisabled adults can participate in this program provided their state is expanding the Medicaid program and they have an income less than 138% of the federal poverty level. In other words, unemployed single moms of two children should have an income of less than $34,300 to be eligible for this program.

8. Unemployment Insurance

The Department of Labor pays weekly compensation to unemployed individuals who have lost their income through no fault of their own with the help of the Unemployment Insurance Program. Single moms who are out of work and struggling to make ends meet can lower the pain of unemployment and help them to reduce their financial burden by replacing a part of their wages temporarily while they are looking for new job opportunities. The benefits offered through this program may vary depending on your state. Most of the states offer unemployment insurance benefits for up to 26 weeks.

9. SSI Supplemental Security Income

The SSI program offers monthly cash assistance to individuals who are blind, disabled, or elderly. The program has been operating since 1974 and has provided a minimum level of income to people who can qualify. Even though this program is designed to cover a wide range of people, like elderly and disabled individuals, the benefits can also apply to children with special needs. If you are an unemployed single mom with a disabled child, you can apply for the SSI program. The essential monthly benefit you can receive through this program may range between $914 to $1371. Recipients of SSI can also get a lot of non-cash assistance and become eligible automatically for Medicaid programs. Single moms with disabled children and having little or no source of income can benefit the best from this program.

10. Head Start

Head Start, as well as Early Head Start, are federally funded programs that promote school readiness among children till five years of age. The Early Head Start Services serve children from their birth to two years of age, while the Head Start Program is for children between three to five years of age. The eligibility criteria are based on household income, which falls between the poverty level guidelines. A few other factors which can affect the eligibility criteria of this program are children in foster care, homelessness, or receiving public assistance. Pregnant women can also apply for the Early Head Start Program. Unemployed single mothers having children between three to five years can receive a wide range of services such as child education, health, and nutrition, free medical and dental care services, etc.

Conclusion

There are many sources out there throughout the United States that offer grants and financial assistance programs for unemployed single moms. It is essential to check the eligibility criteria and application process of every grant source before applying. There are a lot of federal and state-funded welfare schemes that work for the betterment of unemployed single moms and help them to meet their basic needs.