How do you single moms work and afford to pay for everything plus daycare? I’ve been living on government assistance and child support since becoming a single mother, and I’m so ready to start working again. I’ve been offered a decent job but not sure how I’m going to afford childcare. I’ve applied for child care assistance but not sure how much that actually helps out. I’m feeling defeated and like working wouldn’t even be worth it. Also, please add that I’m afraid of losing my Medicaid for my kids, so then insurance would be another added expense.
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They wont take your kids Medicaid
Childcare assistance takes care of the entire bill I’m pretty sure and you could make a million dollars and your KIDS would still have Medicaid.
I’d say go get a job.
You can look up the income requirements in order to keep your assistance
Don’t feel defeated living with help . You and your child are here for a reason . Give yourself the credit you deserve . The daycare assistance helps a lot and makes it affordable in to which you can work . Once you start daycare and work you find a routine that works for you.
Child care is free at first and then when you get pay stubs they go by your income. I was only paying $32 for 8 hrs a day… 5 days a week. It’s worth it
There is a certain amount you make a month but if you have more to pay they will assist in any way especially insurance and child care. I worked and had Medicaid and child care and worked 36 to 40 hours a week. It won’t hurt to talk to a case worker they will answer your questions about how you can submit a change report and what your will end up with good luck and Congratulations on finding a job and staying independent! You got this girl!! It will be the beat thing in the world know you can provide for you children even with a lil help!!
I was a single mom with decent jobs and my son always kept his Medicare since we got child support. Even when I married and had another baby she also got Medicare which is SOOO good since she was born with a cleft lip and palate
Income requirements per state for assistance.
I’m not a single mama but recently we have been struggling it’s really a fine line. My husband makes too much for us to get assistance but not enough to cover household bills.
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They wont take it. I lived this life for yrs, it’s hard and childcare is going to be expensive so if you can if the kids are school aged find an after school group or program to signup for (if theirs any). Or find a fam or friend you trust to come to your home to care for the kids. Your assistance may be adjusted but I don’t think they will take it all.
I never had a choice but to work and figure out away to afford it all I’ve never gotten assistance and never had the pleasure of saying it won’t be worth it to work how did I do it I just did because I had no other options if I wanted to feed my Leeds and keep a roof over there head I had to work 60 plus hours a week stick together a budget and learned to balance work and family life
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Just get a job. Anything you make above and beyond is extra money you could use to take care of your kids. You won’t lose your Medicaid and child care assistance pays almost the whole bill.
The kids won’t lose their medicard
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ND it’s rough gonna gonna lie but u can do it
Self-employment eliminates all of those conflicts & stress.
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I found a neighbor who offered at home daycare which is usually less expensive. It paid off bc I got my promotion at work and now make a decent income. They havent taken away Medicaid so I think you’ll be ok.
Speak to your case worker and also find a daycare you can afford with help
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I really hope those that are saying ahe wont lose her Medicaid have actually experienced NEEDING medicaid or at least done some research on it… for instance in FL if u r working u pay for medicaid…which is a fair price of around $20 a kid…keep in mind this does change depending in income and dependent amounts… but say you have one child and make $16/hr (mind u still struggling making this) you will have to pay around $230 a month for Medicaid
Child care assistance…if u make over $10/hr where I’m from u cant recieve assistance
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I was a single mother until my first born was 5. I had state insurance, and food stamps. I got a job doing in home nannying, I made sure the parents of the families I interviewed with knew i would be bringing my infant/toddler/preschooler with me. I provided the food for myself and my child of course, but it made it so that I didn’t have to pay for child care. I was already finger printed through the state, and went through a CPR certification class for infants and children before I started working.
You do what you have to and keep doing it. Is it easy? No but you do what your kids need because you’re their mom.
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you will never know until you try.
Start a In home daycare. Boom! Problem solved.
In pa when your on welfare cash assistance they provide you with childcare when you are ready to go back to work…they put you in a career search program and ypu have to make your hours or you get a job right away…it covers all childcare expenses for a little while and then it will go to subsidized and they cover most of the cost but you will have a co pay thats based off your income …idk what state you are in but talk to your county assistance office…they probably have similar programs
Wow ,honest post thank you . I really think if you work you should get reduced child care as a single low income mother .
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I work 3 jobs. Single mom of 5 kids. My kids are all in school, so I dont use childcare assistance… but I used to. It helps so much. If you qualify for childcare assistance, stand to reason you still qualify for medicaid and probably food stamps…
Take the help. If you find you dont need it you can always cancel it… although in my experience, if you qualify on paper, you need it. They’ll cancel you long before you you make enough to really be able to drop it.
If you’re honest with your case worker I’m sure they won’t take the Medicaid off until your benefits kick in . Depending where you are , if you bring in your pay stubs they will still subsidize you guys . Have you started applying for rent subsidies and for low income units for working families?
My son is in a sliding scale childcare center so it’s based off of how much you make and the bills you pay. I was approved for care for kids a few months after he started and they also pay a portion of it. The only hard thing sometimes is finding a job that fits the schedule of the daycare. My son can enter anywhere from 7am-9am and has to be picked up by 5
You also won’t lose your state insurance unless you’re making over like 28000 a year I believe and even if you do make more they would just take it from you and leave the child on it. At least that’s how it is here in CT.
Hard to say because I’m from Canada. But I’ve been a single Mom for 7 years now and worked and went to college. After I graduated I worked and had my son in daycare subsidized. It’s possible just have to keep a budget.
I was a single mom and I got a job in daycare so my kids came with me,and Medicaid goes by income …also there Headstart and that’s FREE…and yes they have early Headstart…and some daycare will Pick up for aftercare…so that would save you money
Really it depends on your income, household size and what your state limits are. Just talk to your case work. It’s much better to work towards becoming independent again and not needing their services, than trying to work around not losing them. I know how hard it is to struggle every now and again I have to ask for help. My daughter currently gets a daycare certificate so I can work. I still have to pay a small portion but it helps. I also don’t receive any child support or benefits from her father yet and he is in the military. I believe the voucher can be used to pay a friend or family member to watch your child. The biggest thing to worry about really is scheduling
My daughter and I qualify for Medicaid and we don’t qualify for anything else. Insurance is the easiest to get in my opinion
This is under my Husband is A Blessing and yes I was blessed to meet my husband and we have a wonderful life. But he learned how strong I was from the get go. I made myself strong I look at my children as blessings and not someone else’s burden. I will not debate nor defend my words the welfare system is broken it was never meant to be a total support system but there to help get you up off the ground. I have seen the system abused. So here’s my advice. After all you asked. Put on your best cloths go out find a job find 2 use the system to help you up then walk away from it feeling proud that you are a woman standing up on your own. Believe it or not there are thousands of us out here that did just that.
On a plus note, it doubtful you children would lose their Medicaid coverage even if you did. Find out what the max income is. Its not likely you will exceed it unless you are a highly trained/skilled laborer.
Don’t let anyone on this page judge you or your situation. You do what you have to and what is best for your family. Their situation is not yours and its easy to sit behind a keyboard and be a judgmental witch but it’s not easy to make this decision. Also your child’s father is paying support so you’re not a single mother but a single woman. Best of luck in whatever you decide to do.
I understand that it is scary to be a single mom. Been there done that for 6 years I had up to 3 jobs at once. My mother watched my children but never for free. I paid her because that was her job. I never went to the Government for Medicaid or food stamps. I had my 2 children I was responsible for them not the government. I worked hard I feed and clothed my children and I paid my house payment and all my utilities. I worked for minimum wages and tips. I learned and fought my children the difference between wants and needs. I have nothing against welfare I think it is ok it you use it for a hand up to help get on your own two feet. I just don’t want to pay the bills of people that use what they will loose if they get a job and go to work.
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It’s hard… It’s so hard… I missed a lot of my sons life working and I regret every minute of it… I would qualify for benefits and then be cut off when I had to renew (usually my son was able to get chip when we didn’t have benefits) I struggled and I worked hard but my son paid the sacrifice of not having a mother (working all the time) or a father (in and out uninterested) he was raised by babysitters… My family didn’t help me much but his dads did for a while… At one point he had a babysitter a daycare and a taxi (he was 5 in kindergarten) There’s no way to manage and there’s no balance… You just do the best you can’t and continue to work to better your situation…
Get her involved in sports like softball. My daughter made life long friends when she played. She played for 7 years. Best 7 years of our lives. She made friends and I did too. I then had a support system. With that support, I was able at times to work 2 jobs. I went to work for BCBS so that I would have good healthcare for both of us. They promote from within and if you work hard, you can advance to where you don’t have to work two jobs. Just think of the example you are setting. It will be great for both of you:kissing_heart:
Find a good paying job, with benefits. Stop worrying about keeping all your free government help. I was a single mom for around 10 years and we never received help from the government, use your paycheck to pay your bills. My job is by no means the highest paying out there but you can do it, and with balance.
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You make cuts where you have to. Work while the kids are in school. Have a support network around you.
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My state has a child care program that pays for daycare so you can go to work or school.
Your kids will still be eligible for Medicaid.
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Are you close to a good size city?
You can look up the income limit online for Medicaid based on your family size and what state you’re in. It should also give more information on childcare assistance. If you make too much for Medicaid, you may still be able to qualify for CHIPS.
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Find another daycare if possible and yes subsidy can help. I found a job around my childrens daycare hours beekeeping my 2 toddlers nearly 3 yr old son and nearly 2yr old girl absolutely love honeybees just as much as maama does #staystrongmaama #onlyupfromhere #yourdayswilldiffer #butThatslife #makeitworkforyou
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Childcare assistance helps a lot!! Wait on that to come in and you will figure out how to manage it. It’s great to be self-sustainable gives you an extra pep to your walk 
. As for government assistance should be used as a stepping stone, even if you work, qualifying is stretched to getting CHIP and other benefits. Weigh your options, balance your schedules and get your rest in between. Wish you the best Momma!
You know, I used to struggle alot while being a single parent, once I get home from work, it’s so hard coping with having to cook and having the child cry cos I’m busy, She knows how to feed herself, so she’s teaching herself how to get dressed, I gave up trying to be perfect, I gave up spending alot of money in formula,i wanted to give her the best but I’m not able to always buy everything.You can do it alone,don’t be so hard on yourself, I do not receive maintenance, when I get unpaid days from work, I then have to make a loan to survive.but you know what I’m surviving.My child gets to eat,drink, even if it’s tea.Shes content.I thought that I won’t make
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I am a single mum and I work full time with my son in childcare everyday and I live quite comfortably. It’s not as hard as what you think it is (money wise)
It’s easier with gov helps … child care is going to done for 4 yrs after that school helps save more money…main things is to save money