If you’re a single mom in Ohio struggling to make ends meet, keep reading for resources that help with:
- Emergency cash
- Housing
- Electric bills
- Medical and dental care
- Food
- Child care
- Education
- Employment
- Charity organizations
Every month, I give out $500 cash to one single mom struggling with money, health, stress, child care, illness or loneliness — no strings attached.
Qualifications are simple:
1. You're a single mom.
2. You need the money right now.
Fill out this form to apply:
(Note that the figures and information in this post are current as of publication date.)
Many of the programs on this list determine eligibility as a percentage of the federal poverty level (FPL). These are the July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023 federal poverty guidelines:
| Number of people in family/household | Annual income |
| 1 | $14,580 |
| 2 | $19,720 |
| 3 | $24,860 |
| 4 | $30,000 |
| 5 | $35,140 |
| 6 | $40,280 |
| 7 | $45,420 |
| 8 | $50,560 |
* For families/households with more than 8 people, add $5,140 for each additional person.
You can also look up your area median income (AMI) here.
Emergency cash for low-income families in Ohio
If you need cash to pay bills, buy gas, feed your family, or for any other reason, these resources can help:
Ohio Works First (OWF)
Ohio Works First (OWF) is Ohio’s version of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, which provides cash benefits for qualifying families for up to 36 months (though extensions may be granted in cases of domestic violence and physical/mental incapacity).
The program is available to:
- Families with children
- Children living with non-parental guardians
- Women who are six months pregnant
The amount paid out varies depending on household income. The average OWF payment in November 2021 was $221 per recipient (the most recent data available).
Qualifications:
- U.S. citizen or a qualified non-citizen
- Have children under 18 or under 19 if a full-time student
- Children must be deprived due to:
- Continued absence from the home from at least one parent
- Physical/mental incapacity of at least one parent
- Death of a parent
- Mother must apply for and accept other benefits such as:
- Unemployment compensation
- Workman’s compensation
- Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI)
- Child support
- Children and mother must have social security number
- Children ages 6 to 17 who have not graduated high school or received equivalent certificate must attend school with satisfactory attendance
- Preschool children must be immunized
- Paternity of child must be established at application and when a child is added
- Adult recipients are required to participate in work activities for at least 30 hours/week
- Must cooperate with Office of Child Support Services
- Meet certain income limits — $915/month for a family of three
How to get help:
- Apply for OWF through the Ohio Benefits online portal
- Locate the address of your county directory or call 866-635-3748
More emergency cash help in Ohio:
Single moms in Ohio can visit 211.org or dial 2-1-1 to ask for assistance.
Check out these posts for more ways to get emergency cash:
These are some more tips for getting cash quickly:
- Sell old clothes, toys, and baby supplies you no longer need — check out this post on things to sell around your house
- Get your tax refund early
- Ask for a raise at work
- Open a bank account that offers a signup bonus or high interest rate >>
| CIT Bank | Discover | Other options |
| – 4.50% APY for Savings Connect – No monthly fees – Only $100 to open an account >> | – 3.75% APY for Online Savings Account – No monthly fees – No opening deposit required >> | More savings accounts >> |
Housing help for single moms in Ohio
If you need help finding a place to live or paying your rent/mortgage, these programs can help:
Rental assistance in Ohio
There are multiple programs in Ohio to help renters find housing and pay their rent:
Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA)’s Emergency Rental Assistance
OHFA established a program to provide financial relief for renters who experienced a loss of income because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Renters can receive assistance for up to six months.
Qualifications:
- Household income at or below 50% of AMI with priority given to households with income at or below 30% of AMI
- Must not be able to pay rent and at imminent risk of eviction
- Rental payments must not exceed 120% of the HUD Fair Market Rent (FMR) for the Continua of Care service area, unless approved by OHFA
How to get help:
Visit ohiohome.org.
Public Housing and Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8)**
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offers affordable housing and vouchers to help low-income households pay their rent.
Qualifications:
- Meet income limits specified by HUD-less than 50% of median income for the county in which you live. You can find your county’s income limits on the HUD website.
- Must be a citizen or eligible immigrant
- Be 18 years of age or older
- Be a resident of the state of Ohio
How to get help:
- Contact your local public housing agency and ask how to apply for assistance
- Preliminary applications are accepted through the DCA Applicant Portal
- Call 888-858-6085
- To apply, you will need your social security number, third-party documentation of income, preliminary application form, and signed consent forms
Mortgage assistance in Ohio
This program helps low-income homeowners in Ohio:
Save The Dream Ohio Program
The Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) launched the Save The Dream Ohio program in April 2022 to assist homeowners whose income was negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eligible Ohio homeowners may receive mortgage payments for up to six months and can receive up to $25,000 in assistance.
Qualifications:
- Homeowner in Ohio
- Have experienced loss of income from the pandemic
- Have experienced increased expenses due to the pandemic
- Earn an income at or below the threshold — $132,850/year for a family of three
How to get help:
Visit ohiohome.org.
Check today's mortgage loan rates >>
Homeless and special needs housing assistance in Ohio
The following programs are designed to help homeless individuals and families and those at risk of homelessness:
Ohio 811 Rental Assistance Program
This program provides extremely low-income households of one or more adults with disabilities access to subsidized housing and supportive services. This program is not open for public applications.
The Ohio Department of Medicaid, Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities and Ohio Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services manage statewide waiting lists for eligible individuals.
Qualifications:
- Household contains one or more adults with a disability
- Valid State ID or Drivers License
- Provide birth certificate, social security card or proof of citizenship
- Most recent Social Security Administration (SSA) award letter for Social Security benefits
- Six most recent, consecutive pay stubs
- Copy of unemployment letter or benefits (if applicable)
How to get help:
Learn more about contacting Referral Agents with this link or by emailing [email protected].
SSI/SSDI, Outreach, Access and Recovery (SOAR) Ohio
SOAR Ohio utilizes the Social Security benefits application process to provide Ohio’s most vulnerable residents with safe housing. SOAR provides specialists and aids on behalf of individuals with disability, severe mental illness, or debilitating medical diagnosis.
Qualifications:
Individuals with severe mental illness or disability that inhibits their ability to work, who are:
- Homeless
- At risk of being homeless
- Recently discharged from prison, nursing home, or other institution
How to get help:
- Visit the SOAR Ohio website
- Call the program director at 614-280-1984, ext.137
More housing help:
Electric bill assistance in Ohio
If you are struggling to pay your utility bills in Ohio, check out the following programs:
Home Energy Assistance (HEAP) in Ohio
HEAP helps eligible households with their home heating and cooling bills through energy bill payment assistance.
Qualifications:
- U.S. Citizen or legally admitted immigrant
- Resident of Ohio
- Responsible for paying cost of energy bills
- Total gross annual household income — for example, less than $40,302.50 for a family of three.
How to get help:
Home Weatherization Assistance Program (HWAP)
HWAP helps eligible households with projects that improve the energy efficiency of their homes and reduce their energy costs, including:
- Air and duct sealing
- Wall, floor, attic insulation
- Heating, ventilation, air conditioning system improvements
- Lighting efficiency
- Hot water tank insulation
- Water conservation devices
Home inspections are ordered to determine what services are needed.
Qualifications:
- Priority is given to Ohio Residents ages 60+
- Families who have received Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or Home Energy Assistance (HEAP) during the last 12 months are automatically eligible
- Household income at or below 200% of FPL — $46,060 for a family of three.
How to get help:
Contact your local HWAP provider
Low-Income Household Water Assistance (LIHWAP) in Ohio
The Ohio Department of Development and The Breathing Association provide financial assistance to eligible Ohioans’ water and wastewater bills. The program will run through October 2023.
The maximum amount for bill payment assistance is up to $750 for water, up to $750 for wastewater/sewage or $1500 for water and wastewater combined.
Qualifications:
- Income 175% or less of FPL
- Utilities in disconnect status, shut off, or in need of payment
How to get help:
- Call 614-969-0978 to schedule an appointment
- Find office locations and hours of operation on the Breathing Association website
More electric bill help:
Medical insurance and dental help for single moms in Ohio
The following medical and dental services are available to qualifying individuals and families in the state of Ohio:
Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) in Ohio
HRSA, an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, funds health centers that provide free or subsidized health and dental care to low-income people and those otherwise unable to access quality health care, like people living in rural areas.
HRSA also offers a 24/7 free and confidential mental health hotline for pregnant and new moms. Dial 833-943-5746 (833-9-HELP4MOMS) if you are struggling.
Qualifications:
Each health center sets its own eligibility criteria for free or reduced cost care.
How to get help:
Find an HRSA health center in Ohio by typing in your address on HRSA’s search tool.
Ohio Medicaid
Medicaid is a medical assistance program that helps low-income families pay for some or all of their medical bills.
Ohio requires most individuals who receive Medicaid to join a managed care plan to receive health care. Managed care plans are health insurance companies licensed by the Ohio Department of Insurance that have a provider agreement with the Ohio Department of Medicaid to provide coordinated health care to Medicaid beneficiaries.
Qualifications:
- Resident of Ohio
- U.S. national citizen, permanent resident, or legal alien
- Have or get a Social Security number
- Individuals with low-income
- Pregnant women, infants, and children
- Older adults
- Individuals with disabilities
- Meet income guidelines — $33,064/year for adults with three people in their household
How to get help:
- Contact your county’s Medicaid agency via the state directory
- Call the consumer hotline at 800-324-8680
Healthchek
Healthchek is Ohio's Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) Program for babies, children, and young adults under age 21 who are already enrolled in Medicaid.
Healthchek covers 10 check-ups in the first two years of child’s life and annual check-ups thereafter, and provides comprehensive physical examinations including:
- Medical history
- Complete unclothed exam (with parent approval)
- Developmental screening (to assess if child's physical and mental abilities are age appropriate)
- Vision screening
- Dental screening
- Hearing assessment
- Immunization assessment (making sure child receives them on time)
- Lead screening
Qualifications:
Babies, children and young adults under age 21 who are already enrolled in Medicaid
How to get help:
- Visit the Ohio Department of Medicaid website
- Call 800-324-8680
Breast and Cervical Cancer Project
Federal law allows states to provide full Medicaid coverage to eligible women diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer.
Qualifications:
- Women who have been screened for breast or cervical cancer through Ohio Department of Health
- Aged 21 to 64 years of age
- In need of treatment for breast and/or cervical cancer, including precancerous conditions (eligibility will end when the treatment is completed)
- Uninsured
- Ohio residents
- U.S. citizens or qualified non-citizens (verification of U.S. citizenship or non-citizen status is required)
- Income under 300% of FPL
How to get help:
- Visit the Ohio Department of Health website
- Call (614) 728-2177
Safety Net Dental Clinics
The Ohio Department of Health offers dental clinics for people on Medicaid that offer sliding-scale fees, reduced fees, or free care to patients who don't have dental insurance or can't afford to pay for dental visits. These clinics provide basic dental care like:
- Exams
- X-rays
- Fillings
- Extractions
- Root canals
- Dentures
Qualifications:
- Elderly, racial and ethnic minorities, medically compromised, children or those living in remote geographical areas with unmet oral health needs
- Ohio residents who do not already have a private dentist
- Enrolled in Medicaid or don’t have adequate dental insurance
- Unable to afford out-of-pocket care
How to get help:
Contact your local Safety Net Dental Care provider.
Ohio OPTIONS (Ohio Partnership To Improve Oral health through access to Needed Services)
This state program provides dental care to low income, uninsured families and individuals by assigning patients to volunteer dentists.
Qualifications:
For free dental care, applicants must have no means to afford dental care and must meet ONE of the following criteria:
- Over 65 years of age
- Permanently disabled
- Need medically necessary dental care
For the discounted dental program, applicants must have severe dental decay and/or infections and:
- Limited resources to pay for discounted dental services
- Must fall within 161% to 200% of FPL
- No access to private or public dental insurance
- Provide proof of income
The program is accepting applicants from some, but not all counties
How to get help:
Call 888-765-6789 or visit the Dental Lifeline Network website.
More medical/dental help:
- Health insurance
- Free dental care
- Free dentures
- Free prescriptions
- Free prescription glasses
- Free hearing aids
Food help for low-income families in Ohio
A number of federal and state food and nutrition programs are available across the state:
The Ohio Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as the Food Stamp program) provides food benefits and nutrition education to low-income households.
SNAP recipients are issued an EBT card that can be used like an ATM card to purchase food in retail food stores, including:
- Breads
- Cereals
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Meats
- Fish
- Poultry
- Dairy
- Plants and seeds to grow food
Qualifications:
- Ohio resident
- Person or persons age 60 and over
- Person with a disability (child, spouse, parent, yourself)
- Household’s income is at 130% of FPL
How to get help:
- Apply online at the Ohio Benefits website
- Once your application is filed, a DFCS case manager will interview you
- Contact your county agency by calling 1-866-635-3748
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)
Federal program that helps low-income Ohioans supplement their diet by providing emergency nutrition at no cost through local food banks and soup kitchens.
Qualifications:
Household income is below 200% of the FPL.
How to get help:
Find your local food bank with this map.
Ohio’s Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
Ohio WIC helps eligible pregnant and breastfeeding women, women who recently had a baby, infants, and children up to 5 years of age by providing services such as:
- Free infant formula
- Highly nutritious foods
- Nutrition education
- Breastfeeding education and support
Qualifications:
- Low-income, pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, for up to one year postpartum
- Women up to six months postpartum who are not breastfeeding
- Infants and children under 5 years old, including foster children
- Low-income sole provider parents of children under age of 5 who are at nutritional risk and who are below 185% of FPL
- If you are currently receiving Medicaid, Temporary Assistance, or Food Assistance help, you are also eligible for WIC
How to get help:
- Check eligibility on the WIC screening website
- Call the Help Me Grow hotline at 1-800-755-GROW (1-800-755-4769)
- Print the application and mail to your local WIC clinic
National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP)
NSLP serves healthy, well-balanced, reduced-price or free meals to children in school. An extension of the NSLP, the School Breakfast Program provides free or low-cost breakfast to eligible students.
Qualifications:
Household income must fall at or below the limits of the federal income eligibility guidelines — $45,991 for a family of three.
How to get help:
Contact your child’s school to enroll.
More food help:
Child care help for low-income families in Ohio
There are multiple federally funded education programs and resources in Ohio:
Ohio Head Start and Early Head Start
Head Start is a free federal preschool program for children aged 3 to 5 from low-income families. Early Head Start serves pregnant women and children under age 3. The programs focus on cognitive, social, and emotional development and prepare children for school.
Qualifications:
- Children from birth to 5
- Meet federal poverty guidelines
- Children in foster care, homeless children, and children from families receiving public assistance (TANF, SSI, etc.) are eligible regardless of income
- Some programs accept kids with incomes above the Poverty Guidelines
- Pregnant women can also receive prenatal and postpartum information, education, and services through Early Head Start
How to apply:
- Contact your local Head Start or Early Head Start to apply
- Call 866-763-6481
Ohio BOLD Beginning! Childcare
Ohio’s BOLD Beginning Program provides resources and support to families and mothers to improve the lives of their children. Services include:
- Prenatal care and programming
- Parenting education and mentoring,
- Education and employment supports
- Childcare
Qualifications:
Households must have incomes at or below 150% of the FPL.
How to get help:
More child care help
Education help for single moms in Ohio
If you’re a single mom who wants to further her education, here are some helpful resources:
Get a GED in Ohio
If you are at least 18 years old in Ohio, you can take the GED test. You may also be able to take the test at 16 or 17 with special permission from the school district where you live.
The GED test is broken into four exams on different subjects, which can be spaced out and taken at your own pace (though each individual exam has a time limit):
- Mathematical reasoning: 115 minutes
- Reasoning through language arts: 150 minutes
- Social studies: 70 minutes
- Science: 90 minutes
You have two options for taking the test in Ohio:
- Online at-home test: $36 per module
- In-person exams at a test center: $30 per module
Grants and scholarships in Ohio
The following educational grants and scholarships are available to single moms in Ohio:
Student Loan Forgiveness Programs
While Ohio offers limited student loan forgiveness programs, residents can still qualify for federal programs.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Ohio
FAFSA connects current and future college students with financial assistance to afford higher education. Federal and state grants are dependent upon individual income and determined by a college or university’s financial aid department. More information can be found on the OASFAA website.
Employment help for single moms in Ohio
Workforce programs in Ohio provide training and assist with employment:
OhioMeansJobs Centers
OhioMeansJobs helps Ohio residents with job search assistance, employee recruitment, job training, and more. Check out this directory of county centers.
Job Search Assistance at Ohio Public Libraries
Ohio is the first state in the nation to partner its job searching resources with its public library system. Library computers are equipped for OhioMeansJobs.com, librarians are trained on the website’s interface, and local job listings are posted in the library. Find your local library with this directory.
American Job Centers
The American Job Centers offer employment and training services, career counseling, and job search assistance.
How to get help:
- Search for a location on the American Job Center website
- Call 877-872-5627
- Email [email protected]
More employment help:
- Single mom grants
- Scholarships for single moms
- Recession-proof jobs
- Best jobs for single moms
- No-degree jobs
Charity organizations in Ohio
There are a number of charitable organizations throughout Ohio that offer support to single moms:
The Salvation Army of Ohio
The Salvation Army wears many hats. Chapters assist with:
- Food, shelter and clothing
- Medication costs
- Education and job training
- Christmas presents
- Rent and utility bills
- Substance abuse rehabilitation
- Youth services
- Emergency disaster response
Qualifications:
Each Salvation Army branch determines its own eligibility criteria for different programs.
How to get help:
Find your branch of the Ohio Salvation Army.
Catholic Charities of Ohio
Catholic Charities assists with:
- Housing
- Utility assistance
- Food assistance
- Health care assistance
There are seven chapters across Ohio:
- Catholic Charities Diocese of Cleveland, Cleveland, OH 44102
- Catholic Charities Diocese of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43604
- Catholic Charities Diocese of Youngstown, Youngstown, OH 44503
- Catholic Charities Diocese of Southeastern Ohio, Steubenville, OH 43952
- Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio, Cincinnati, OH 45237
- Catholic Social Services Columbus, Columbus, OH 43215
- Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley, Dayton, OH 45402
Qualifications:
Each Catholic Charities branch determines its own eligibility criteria for different programs.
How to get help:
- Apply for assistance on the Catholic Charities website or reach out to your nearest Catholic Charities branch
- Call 352-460-0700
United Way of Ohio
The United Way of Ohio connects people in need with local resources like:
- Food
- Shelter
- Child care services
- Housing
- Health care
- Support groups
How to get help:
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