Do you currently, have the responsibility of both caring for your children and taking care of household responsibilities all on your own?
If you are a single mother, you may feel alone however don’t lose heart, there is certainly help for single mothers in New York.
The state of New York offers a number of assistance programs to low-income families and single mothers, all of which can come in handy in different ways.
If you need that extra bit of help, do not be afraid to use it and you can somewhat rely on these assistance programs when you are in need.
Food Resources
One of the primary assistance programs available in the state of New York is the food stamps program. You can apply for food stamps to get help with affording groceries. Your children need to eat and it’s your responsibility to put food on the table and make sure that your children are fed.
Because of this, you may have had to go without or even had to put off paying certain bills at certain points in time just to make sure you were able to afford the food for your children.
If this is something you have dealt with before, you can get help. You can apply for food stamps in the state of New York, also known as the SNAP program. If you are eligible, you will receive money on an EBT card on a monthly basis which is to be used in grocery stores for food items.
Along with the SNAP program, there is a program that was specifically designed for Women, Infants and Children, which is where its name WIC originates from. On this program, you would receive monthly checks that are to be used at the grocery store.
The checks list certain food items that you would need to purchase. The food items listed on the checks are quite basic but pretty much include eggs, milk, cheese, bread and some other basic necessities. This program and the SNAP program are ideal programs for you to apply for as a single mom.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Childcare Assistance
Do you currently work or attend school? If so, you obviously need someone to watch your children. The problem with this is that you may not know anyone who would be willing to take care of your children while you work or attend school and you may not be able to afford the expense of daycare, especially since the cost of daycare continues to increase with each year that passes by.
If you are having trouble finding someone to watch your child or affording daycare, you can apply for childcare assistance so that you can easily get help with paying for your childcare.
On this assistance program, a portion of the expense of childcare will be paid for so that it’s more affordable for you.
Office of Children and Family Services
Rent Assistance
If you are struggling to pay your rent but need affordable housing for you and your family, help is available in the state of New York. In this state, you can apply for Section 8 housing which is basically subsidized housing.
Through the Section 8 program, you’ll be able to find a comfortable and spacious place to live that is located in a nice environment. Most importantly, the housing would be affordable so you would not have to pay a fortune or go broke to live in a nice place.
Affordable Healthcare
Both you and your children need to have healthcare to cover the cost of medical expenses, whether it’s immunizations, surgeries or anything else that is medical-related. However, health insurance is often overly expensive and you may not be able to afford the premiums.
If you are struggling to afford healthcare for you and your children, options are available. Instead of paying a fortune out of pocket, you can apply for Medicaid, a type of healthcare that was designed specifically for older individuals and low-income families that need health insurance but cannot really afford the cost.
Grants and Scholarships/College and School
If you would like to pursue a certain career, you may need to obtain a certification or degree to get the type of job you have always wanted. This is definitely an ambitious goal but it’s not out of question.
Some single moms think it is impossible for them to get back on track with attending college or even a trade school but it actually is very possible.
Even though the cost of college and trade school is quite high, there is help available to make it more affordable. There are certain scholarships and grants that are offered to single moms, helping to make it more affordable for them to attend college or trade school.
Best of all, grants and scholarships usually do not have to be paid back like in the case of student loans. If you want to pursue a certain career, do not be afraid to apply for these grants and scholarships.
Financial Assistance
If things are a little rough at the moment, you can apply for cash assistance as well in the state of New York.
The cash assistance program is, of course, only a temporary program designed to assist you with the process of getting back on your feet.
Even though it’s temporary, it can definitely be of a major help and is ideal if you are looking for that little extra help.