Raising children is a tough and challenging task. This, together with all the other responsibilities of the household, when left to be managed alone by a single mother can be catastrophic not only financially and physically but also at times emotionally. Single parents are raising 29% of all the kids in the state of Iowa. With a median per capita income at $35,023 and about 7% of the state children living in crowded homes, the state reflects neither a very healthy nor a bad situation of the single parents and their living conditions in the state.
Childcare: The Iowa Department of Human Services runs the Childcare support program in the state for parents whose regular and known sources of incomes do not allow them to pay for expensive childcare services. You might be able to these benefits if you are working full time or involved in a vocational training or completing your education. The childcare assistance program is available to mother who have kids under the age of 13.
Healthcare: If you are employed full time, the health care options offered by your employer are usually best in terms of cover and affordability. However, if you do not have full time employment or are not covered under an insure plan by your employer, you can apply for the Iowa Department of Human Services’ Medicaid program. A wide range of medical and health care services are available under this program and to be eligible to need to be a resident of Iowa and a citizen of the United State of America. There is another unique program run by the name of Hawk-i that makes medical cover for uninsured kids an available and viable option.
Food & Supplies: For single mothers who might need assistance for putting healthy and nutritious food on the table for the family and children, the state of Iowa runs The Food Assistance Program. This program allows low-income single mothers and families in procuring nutritious food that can prove to be an expensive expense at times. To qualify for this assistance you need to meet certain guidelines and requirements.
Rent Assistance: The US Department of Housing and Urban Development runs various assistance programs to make safe and comfortable housing a viable option for all the residents of the state. There are also some grants available that might be able to assist you in paying for your monthly rentals. Alternatively, you can also seek assistance under the Section 8 housing subsidies and vouchers scheme making housing more affordable for many.
Educational Grants: The State of Iowa pays a lot of emphasis on the need of having its residents educated. A positive move in this direction, are the various grants and scholarships made available by the state machinery. There are various state grants that you might be eligible for if you are a resident of the state of Iowa. Federal aid is also available in the form of FAFSA which the residents of the state can apply for online.
Transportation: The state of Iowa is not as well connected internally as compared to the transportation infrastructure of the other states. For single mothers, the time spent traveling is at times even more important than the cost of traveling. Other common options to save time and money can be carpool and local low cost public transport instead of using your own car to travel.
