Whether you are in the mountains or city, trying to raise a family on a single income in New York is near impossible. The state offers their resident single mothers many programs designed to help make things easier to manage for them.

 

• Childcare: New York’s Office of Children and Family Services offers help in locating suitable childcare. Single mothers who then need assistance paying for those services can get that through the DSS (Department of Social Services). A person’s eligibility will be based on typical factors like family size and income, as well as why the childcare is needed.

• Healthcare: Lower income families that do not possess private insurance through an employer could be eligible for the state’s Medicaid program. Medicaid will offer people health coverage sponsored by the state, or it may help provide supplemental payment assistance on available insurances that are beyond the budget of the family. New York also offers a Family Health Plus program aimed towards residents whose income sits above the Medicaid guidelines, as well as the Child Health Plus plan for qualifying children.

• Food and Supplies: If the task of putting nutritious food in front of your family has become a challenge, New York State offers a Food Stamp program. Another program that can provide temporary financial assistance for families in the midst of difficult times is TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). Single mothers are often those most in need. Other statewide programs designed to assist single mothers with food and various supplies include food banks and the WIC program.

• Transportation: A lot of single mothers find the expense of owning a car to be more than they can manage. The good news is that many of the bigger cities in New York are world-renowned for their public transportation system options, and many are very affordable. Individuals on Medicaid can have their appointment transportation paid for directly by Medicaid. Other options would include things like carpooling.

• Rental Assistance: The last thing someone should ever have to worry about is having a roof over their heads. HUD and the state of New York provide numerous rental assistance programs for single mothers to take advantage of. These can include Section 8 housing and residence choice vouchers. The DHCR (Division of Housing and Community Renewal) provides the Rural Rent Assistance Program to individuals not living in a big city.

• College Grants: Single mothers should also not be denied the opportunity to pursue higher education. This can become a reality through any one of a number of state sponsored scholarships and grants. There are grants specific to New York, as well as FAFSA, which allows single mothers to apply for federal offers.