Life as a single mother can be tough. You are constantly worried about taking care of your children and providing them with their needs. In many cases, the salary of a single mom will not suffice the household but if you live in the state of California, there are various programs that the state implemented to help you in your problems. Always keep in mind that you are not on your own since there are several loans, grants and state financial assistance programs that you can get.

Applying for a program that will support you economically is the brightest thing to do but the whole process can be complex and sometimes disheartening considering that it demands rigid compliance of the necessary requirements. If is important to organize all your documents ahead of time to make the process smoother. A caseworker will be designated to do the job with you in your application and you will be provided ten days to process all the paperwork necessary for your application. Ask questions if you have some things that you are unsure about. It will require you to firmly abide with all their specifications which can be overpowering for your part but the outcome is beyond reasonable.

Cash Assistance

There are lots of programs out there that will help in giving food, shelter or medical needs but hard cash is also an absolute necessity. The TANF is a well-known federal program which gives out services to needy families in terms of medical, food and cash assistance. The Federal government is the main administrator of TANF and they set the basic rules of eligibility. However, state governments can also add requirements and in-charge of developing and ensure full-implementation of the said program. The TANF cash assistance is funded by a combination of federal and state funds.

Food.

If you are a single mother who are working or studying then you know how hard it is to find a reliable place for your kids to be taken cared of given your short income. The CalWorks child care program is there to provide accessible, quality and affordable child care. It is a temporary program until such time you can manage to pay for childcare at some point. For more details, follow this link (http://dpss.lacounty.gov/dpss/calworks/childcare.cfm).

 Healthcare. 

The Medi-Cal program or federally recognized as Medicaid provides guidance and financial assistance when it comes to medical bills. More details about their different programs is readily available in their website, http://www.medi-cal.ca.gov. Another program which aids single mothers in providing quality healthcare is the California Kids. It provides low-cost medical and dental insurance for children. You can apply online or download the application for from their website which you can send through mail. Apply by clicking this link http://www.californiakids.org/applicationinfo.tpl.

Education.

To get a better paying employment, it is advisable to go after a college degree but because of the tight budget, this may be difficult to achieve if you are a single mom. There are a lot of grants that are funded by the state. An example of this is the FAFSA. . There are also student loans that are available in the state of California but bear in mind that not all educational institutions offer federal or private student loans. A list of student loans available for the state of California can be found by following this link (http://www.studentloannetwork.com/student-loans/california/).

The California Student Aid Commission is another program in California which aims to give grants to deserving students including single mothers who are in some kind of financial difficulties. For the eligibility requirements and the application process, information is available through their website www.calgrants.org

Housing.

The HUD offers assistance to single mothers. This is very useful for moms who want to own a house permanently or needs help with the rent. In the state, there is the California Housing and Community Development Program and it works with the HUD in providing shelter for the residents of California. More information about the program is accessible through this link (http://www.hud.gov/local/index.cfm?state=ca&topic=renting).