Help for single teenage mothers seems like one of the easiest and hardest things to find. Either you make too much money, or not enough at all.
As a single teen mom, where do you find the help you need to help make ends meet? The rate of teen pregnancy has been increasing year after year. There are even television shows about the life of real teenage mothers.
In reality, if you’re a single mom, you need help making ends meet. There are however some actions you can always take to get the support you need for your children.
Child Support
There is absolutely nothing wrong with seeking child support from your baby’s father. Unless the father lives with you and gives you active support, then you are entitled to petition the courts for child support. Often times, moms feel bad about asking for child support, but you shouldn’t. Think of all the times you had to buy diapers or food on your own, there is nothing wrong with support from the other parent. The same would go for a father raising a baby on his own as a teenager; he would also have the right to ask for child support. The steps to petition for child support vary in each state and country. Check your government website for more information.
WIC
WIC stands for Women Infant Children and it’s a wonderful program available to mothers of all races, ages and situations. The best thing about this program is that it concentrates on your nutritional needs and your child’s food needs. As long as you qualify for it financially, you are able to get help with various types of food. Food you might receive from here includes; milk, cheese, eggs and so on. Single teenage mothers who are pregnant may qualify too. After your baby is born, you may also be able to get help breastfeeding or getting formula for your baby. Contact your counties local WIC office for more information.
Child Care Assistance
Single teenage mothers who want to return back to school or work, may qualify for child care assistance. This is a very special program that parents qualify for, based on income. It’s helpful to get aid from the child care assistance program because daycare is very expensive, especially when you have many others expenses and you’re paying for them on your own. Check with a local state daycare program that may be able to help you get more information. The only bad part of a program like this is that there may be a wait list for your child to get a spot in a child care assisted program.