by Lillian Joyce

Created on: August 20, 2009   Last Updated: August 22, 2009

Being alone is hard enough, but being alone and a parent can be terrifying. With the rising cost of childcare, it can be difficult to work let alone feed and clothe the family. Every purchase must be budgeted for and planned. Even with a comfortable income, the rising cost of food and fuel can make surviving nearly impossible. There are several programs in the United States that offer assistance to families. While not everyone will qualify for every program, every little bit helps. It can take some time and some effort, but it could be worth it in the end.

Probably the most well-known program across the US is WIC - Women Infants and Children. WIC is a program that provides milk, formula, cereal, eggs, peanut butter, and some fruits to pregnant women, infants, and children up to age five. Qualification is income-based and you will need to provide proof of income for verification. WIC provides vouchers to the family for the entire month. You must purchase everything on the voucher at one time. It greatly supplements the grocery shopping, and the formula part is fantastic if you bottle-feed. For breastfeeding mothers, they provide different items to help sustain healthy breast milk.

Speaking of food, another program to consider is food stamps. The food stamp program can vary from location to location. Some places use a debit-type card that they preload every month for use at participating grocery stores for food items only. Other areas give coupon books that look almost like fake money. The dollar amount on each stamp is used to cover the cost of the food order. Anything over the amount provided must be paid by the participant. Food stamps are provided once a month. Once they have been used, the participant must wait until the next month to receive more. This program is also income-based and generally one must set up an appointment at Social Services or your local welfare office. Some areas will consider rent/mortgage payments as adjusted income, so check with your local office.

Childcare is one of the largest expenses we have besides housing. And quality childcare can be hard enough to find without factoring in the costs. Check with your local Childcare Resource and Referral office to see if there are any programs for supplemental childcare in your area. Depending on your income and how often your child is enrolled, the state can provide supplemental payments directly to your childcare provider. Your provider must be enrolled in the program and except the

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