Being a single mother can be intimidating and anxious experience, accompanied with worries and problems alone is never easy for a single mother. The very fear of a single parent is how to put on the necessities needed for survival; how to put off the food in the table and the fear of paying bills or where to find money to keep life going, these were just few of the many problems encountered a single parent can share. Thus, with the help of the governments’ financial aid for single mother, they would be able to know that they are not alone and they can keep both their life and their child’s life at ease with no worries at all. Getting the obligatory needs and guarantee the welfare of a child can be tough but lucky for those who lived in Illinois, the government have deposited out of the ordinary attention to the needs of single mothers by offering its own financial programs to make their lives easier. All the assistance is there and here’s the help on how to find it.

Financial Assistance

In America, there are billions of dollars available in government grants to help single parents; the thing to do is just to apply for it. A single parent who qualifies the government financial assistance in Illinois are those who are divorced or the other parent of the child is handicapped, disabled or deceased. The custodial parent may apply for the government support if the other parent is imprisoned. Children that had been born out of marriage vows or if the father is unidentified may qualify. If the other parent had abandoned their families in more than a year can apply for government’s financial help. On the other hand, there are also cases that may exclude a single parent from applying the government’s financial assistance. One is if the other parent is supporting the child. The single parent is already receiving pensions for disabilities, the child has been cared by foster parents and if the child is waiting any inheritance from mother or fathers side. The TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy families) offers temporary financial assistance for families who have one or more needy children and for those pregnant mothers. This program helps on how to compensate for food, refuge, expenses and utilities.

Food Assistance

In Illinois the first thing to look into is the state’s SNAP program. If qualified, you will be given electronic swipe card to use in buying foods in grocery stores instead of cash. Only one Illinois link card is issued per case in Illinois, for application and more resources and information, just one click away on this link www.dhs.state.il.us .The WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) is a food assistance program in Illinois that lend a hand to pregnant or breastfeeding mothers and also young kids to get well and to eat healthy foods. The recipients of these services are mainly those mothers who are pregnant or just had a baby, children younger than 5 years old and infants are also qualified; and families with very low to medium income, click the link for complete information about WIC Illinois www.dhs.state.il.us.  Other than SNAP and WIC programs, there are also food banks in Illinois which offers donated foods to single mothers who are qualified.

Childcare Assistance

Another dilemma that a single mother had to face is on how to find and afford good childcare. Lucky for those single mothers in Illinois, the state offers CCAP (Child Care Assistance Program) that will help single parents to find quality and reliable child care at a very affordable rate. CCAP provides low-income, access to quality for working single parent and affordable child care that allows single parents to work and continues to contribute their child a healthy, emotional and social development. CCAP serves families who are receiving TANF, those teen parents who are seeking for high school degree and families who are not getting TANF, who also pursue to get a degree to improve their job opportunities.

Healthcare Assistance

Childcare assistance is just one of the things a single parent should worry about. Aside from this dilemma, healthcare is also one of the many problems a single parent should think about for the wellness of their children. Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family services offers health care treatment to over 2.6 million Illinoisans, it covers on children, pregnant woman, veterans, persons with disabilities and relatives who are caring for children at no or with minimal cost.

Housing Assistance

Finding accommodation that is affordable is another headache single mom has to deal with. In Illinois, the government provides subsidy to the Rental Housing Support Program (RHSP).

Educational Assistance

Illinois’ FAFSA or Free Application for Federal Student Aid helps to find codes needed to apply for the assistance to colleges a single parent might want to attend. There are also scholarships that are offered by celebrities like David Letterman Scholarship.

Transportation Assistance

Having a car is merely impossible if you don’t have a cash to buy one. In Illinois, there is a system that offers given cars to eligible individuals but this service is offered to those who are really in need of cars. For those who can’t have it, this is not quite a problem since buses in Illinois are quiet cheaper and much more cheaply if you can buy a season travel passes.Living in Illinois as a single mother might be a lot easier than you can ever imagine if you utilize and make most of the assistance available.