Ohio Works First
OWF stands for Ohio Works First which is the financial assistance part of Ohio’s Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program. OWF was established to provide time-limited assistance to eligible families. OWF provides cash benefits to eligible, needy families for up to 36 months.
Program Requirements
To qualify for this benefit program, you must be a resident of Ohio, a U.S. national, citizen, legal alien, or permanent resident, either pregnant or responsible for a child under 19 years of age, have low or very low income, and be either under-employed (working for very low wages), unemployed or about to become unemployed.
Application Process
To apply for this program, please contact the nearest agency (pdf).
Contact Information
To phone the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) about Ohio Works First, please call: 1-866-244-0071.
The State of Ohio Division of Child Care has a subsidy for single mothers to help pay for their childcare costs.
The single mom is entitled to choose the child provider of her preference. However, the provider must be licensed to offer child care services. At some points, depending on the income of the mom, co-payment may be instituted. The children of the participants of Ohio Work First Program are automatically eligible for child care subsidy. In general, only low-income families are helped.
The child care vouchers are spent just like cash, but can only be used for the costs of child care. In order to qualify for child care grants through the state of Ohio, applicants must meet income guidelines and be willing to help pay for a portion of their child care costs, the remainder of which is paid for through the grant program. The portion that families are responsible for paying directly is usually based on income and may vary. Interested applicants must apply directly through their local office of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to see if they qualify.
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
30 E. Broad Street, 32nd Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
877-852-0010
jfs.ohio.gov
You can apply for benefits here.
You can get more information about the child care program from your County Department of Job and Family Services.
Here you can find two important tools which will help you find out the monthly gross income that a family may receive and be eligible for help to pay for child care and how much the family’s part of the cost called co-payment would be:
Copayment Table effective March 2014
Single moms in need of renting or purchasing safe and affordable housing for their families can be the beneficiaries of several government assistance programs:
Housing Choice Vouchers Program
The Housing Choice Vouchers Program (PHA Vouchers Program), provides single mothers and low income families with housing choice vouchers to help pay for rent or even to purchase a home, the program being funded by US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The voucher helps through the public housing agency to pay a certain amount of the rent to the landlord each month. If the total rent is not entirely paid by the housing voucher, the renter will need to come up with the difference.
Also, single moms and low income families may be able to purchase a home using these vouchers, under certain circumstances.
Home Program
HUD also offers a program called The HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME). Federal funding established for this program is given directly to the state and local government. The government takes the funds and distributes them to single moms and low income families as loan guarantees, direct loans, grants, rental assistance, security deposit assistance, and credit enhancement.
Shelter Plus Care Program
Single moms who are homeless and have disabilities, especially those who are suffering from mental illnesses, long-term problems such as drug or alcohol abuse, or AIDS can be helped through the Shelter Plus Care Program, which is also offered through HUD. The program provides housing, support, and rehabilitation programs to individuals who are homeless and disabled.
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