Assistance for Single Moms in California

Single moms can receive assistance and aid from a wide variety of assistance programs spread across the whole state of California. Help for paying utilities, rent assistance, health care and medical bills, food, and other financial aid are the type of resources made available.

Food Pantries and Banks
Single moms are able to receive food and financial aid at a county level or they can also turn to a food bank in their area. 866-321-4435 to contact the California Association of Food Banks for help.

Rescue Mission Organizations
There are a number of organizations spread across the state of California that can provide single moms with access to a food pantry, homeless prevention service, thrift stores, and other aid.

California Department of Social Services
Numerous grants and assistance programs can be offered to single mothers by the California Department of Social Services. 916-651-8848.

Below, are some examples of the aid offered:

• Cash aid programs destined for low income single moms that can help them meet their basic needs, offering employment, education, and training programs to help families get jobs and get on their way to self-sufficiency. For families in work activities, transportation, child care, work expenses and counseling are also made available. For families and caretakers with children, adults, seniors, disabled, children and adults, cash aid is available. 916-651-8848
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Women Infants and Children (WIC), and the Emergency Food Assistance Program (EFAP) will provide emergency food supplies to low-income single moms, can help the lower income buy the food they need for good households, and help pregnant mothers and newborn kids. 800-852-5770 to contact WIC in California.
• CalWorks Child Care is a program that can help single moms transition from immediate, short term needs to the more stable, long-term child care that is absolutely necessary. The goal here is to help families leave and remain off state aid. 916-657-1668.
• Cal-Learn is an assistance program that focuses on helping parenting and pregnant teens attend and graduate from high school or the equivalent of that. With this assistance, payments for necessary child care are also included. For more information about this program, call Sutter Teen Programs at 916-262-9141.
• Medi-Cal is the equivalent of Medicaid in California. If both adults and children have limited income and resources the program can pay for a variety of medical services. 800-300-1506 to apply for Medi-Cal.
• CalWORKs Program will help single moms in California prepare for employment. Transportation, child care, and work-related or training-related expenses are some of the services offered. 916-657-2128

Community Services & Development (CSD)
This program represents a department of the California Health and Human Services Agency. Lower income single moms can receive resources to help them achieve and maintain self-sufficiency, assistance with rent, help with paying home energy bills and aid in finding and residing in housing. Dial 866-675-6623.

Programs offered include:

• Community Services Block Grant (CSBG)
  The CSBG program was created with the aim of assisting low-income single moms and individuals in attaining the knowledge, skills and motivation that is necessary to achieve self-sufficiency. Shelter, food and health care needs is what the program also provides to low-income people with immediate life necessities such as the ones mentioned earlier.
• Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Weatherization Assistance Program, and Reduced Rate Programs
  These programs that are administered by the California State Department of Community Services & Development are energy and utility saving programs meant to provide direct help with paying utility and heating bills, help lower energy bills and other forms of aid. 866-675-6623.

Vouchers for Paying Rent
Section 8 housing vouchers may be offered to eligible single moms. Case management and ongoing rental assistance are other services that are being offered by the federal government HUD program to those that qualify. For information on how to get Housing Choice (Section 8) Vouchers call 800-955-2232.

Homeowner Assistance Program
This program allows a once-a-year payment from the State of California to eligible single moms. The maximum amount of assistance that a homeowner in California may receive is $472.60. Individuals must meet income thresholds, be 62 years of age or older, disabled, blind in order to receive aid. 800-338-0505.

Renter Assistance Program
Qualified families and single mothers, can receive a one payment or grant per year from the State of California with the help of this renters program. $347.50 is the maximum amount of help a claimant may receive. For more advice on rental assistance call 800-569-4287.

California Homebuyer's Downpayment Assistance Program (CHDAP)
This program offers low interest rate first mortgage programs and a variety of down payment assistance programs to eligible first-time home buyers. The California Housing Finance Agency understands the desire of many people to own their first home and how difficult it can be to achieve such a goal. 877-922-5432.

California Mortgage Help and Foreclosure Aid
In order to prevent foreclosure, the state of California offers single moms a suitable assistance program. The resources offered can allow people to get help with their mortgage. 800-569-4287 to contact the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Debt Reduction and Credit Counseling
California single moms can get help to get back on track with paying off debts and outstanding bulls from a number of organizations, most of which are non-profit. There is no cost attached to many of these debt reduction programs. To contact the National Foundation for Credit Counseling dial 800-388-2227.

Financial Assistance in a Crisis
Many of these programs are administered by the Salvation Army in the state of California. The resources offered can help single moms pay for their electric bills, rent, and transportation costs, such as gas and automobile repairs.

Free or Discounted Health Care
Offering a wide variety of medical services to residents, there are about 800 clinics throughout the state of California that can offer either free or discounted health care.
Low income single moms in some parts of California can also receive free diapers from a few non-profit agencies.
There are also non-profit dental centers that can help someone if they specifically need oral healthcare or their dental needs met.
Uninsured residents with limited health plans can also receive medical and dental care from state coordinated programs. Prescription medications, specialty care, and help paying premiums and medical bills are some of the services offered to California families and single moms.

Healthy Families
For single moms with children up to the age of 19 this is a low-cost health insurance program. Low-cost monthly premiums range from about $4-$15/month. Call 800-880-5305 for more information.

Operation Access (OA)
Uninsured single moms with low income can be provided with diagnosis, free evaluation and surgical operations by this assistance program. Volunteer doctors and medical staff at participating hospitals are the ones performing the medical procedures. 415-733-0052.

Assistance with Medical Debt Collectors and Charity Health Care
Protection of patients from aggressive and illegal debt collection efforts is ensured by the laws created by the state of California. Another one of the state’s guarantees is that families and single moms get access to free medical care, is.

Child Care Assistance Programs
Eligible single moms in California can be provided subsidized child care services by the three versions of this program, specifically, CalWORKs, Alternate Payment, and Child Protective Services. CalWORKs offers help to families that are in transition off of cash aid or welfare assistance and grants. While the parents work, attend school or college, seek work, or while they seek permanent housing in California, the Alternate Payment program will help pay for child support. For children who are in a neglectful household or living situation Child Protective services will pay for child care. 213-240-5900

Legal Assistance
Free legal assistance and counsel is what single moms in California can receive from the several non-profit law firms located across state. 415-777-2752 to contact the California Rural Legal Assistance program.

Self-sufficiency, Job Training, and Referrals
A community action agency/partnership can offer single moms case management, employment services, and ongoing support. Families can be directed by many of these non-profits to emergency financial aid programs.
Additionally, the state operates WorkSource centers. Unemployed single moms or people looking to gain new skills can get help from these government funded locations, Receive free career counseling services, help with searching for a job and additional support. 510-251-2600 to contact the Building Economic Security for All (BESA) assistance program.

Discounted Telephone Service from LifeLine
Low income households can receive savings and low cost phones, either cell or home from the state of California. The California LifeLine program can help customers save a significant amount of money on their monthly bills. 866-272-0349.

Electric and Utility Bill Programs
Some resources and services are offered directly by energy companies in California, in addition to the resource that can be offered to single moms by non-profit agencies and government organizations at a county level. 866-675-6623 to contact the California Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

Help with Water Bills
This program is offered to single moms in Northern California and low to moderate income households for a discount on their monthly bills. 916-568-4252 to contact the California American Water’s H2O- Help to Others Program.