Arizona Single Mothers Assistance Programs
Last Updated on May 23, 2024 by Kathy
There are many homes in Arizona with struggling single mothers, so the government made Arizona assistance programs available to its residents. Since households with only one parent usually only have one income, it’s tough for them to make ends meet.
Single moms can receive help in the form of free food, housing costs, grants, rent, energy bills, and free health care in all cities and counties across the state of Arizona.
Arizona Medicaid Assistance Programs
Medicaid is a federal program providing medical care to children and disabled adults. Since healthcare costs are at an all-time high, this program provides single parents with the opportunity to seek immunizations and checkups to keep their children healthy.
Eligibility Requirements
To receive Medicaid, children need to be under 18 years. Pregnant women are eligible because of their unborn child. Adults must prove they suffer a disability. If you meet one of these conditions, your income must fall under the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).
| Household Size** | Maximum Income Level (Per Year) |
|---|---|
| 1 | $11,170 |
| 2 | $15,130 |
| 3 | $19,090 |
| 4 | $23,050 |
| 5 | $27,010 |
| 6 | $30,970 |
| 7 | $34,930 |
| 8 | $38,890 |
Funding Amount
Medicaid recipients can seek medical care for free.
Website and Contact Details
Go to the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) website for more information and apply for Medicaid.
Arizona Food Stamps
The food stamp program is now called the Arizona Nutrition Assistance Program (NA). While the name has changed, the program is similar to the food stamps program many individuals are accustomed to.
Arizona Nutrition Assistance Program (NA)
NA provides financial assistance to purchase nutritious foods for individuals with a low income. There is a list of items that individuals can purchase with the benefits.
Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility requirements are based on income and resources. The United States Department of Agriculture determines eligibility requirements and changes each year.
Funding Amount
The following are the funding amounts for the number of eligible households.
| NA Number of Eligible Household Members (Budgetary Unit) | NA Thrifty Food Plan Amount |
| 1 | $194 |
| 2 | $357 |
| 3 | $511 |
| 4 | $649 |
| 5 | $771 |
| 6 | $925 |
| 7 | $1,022 |
| 8 | $1,169 |
| Each additional participant, add $146 |
Website and Contact Details
For more information about NA, visit the Arizona Department of Economic Security.
Arizona Special Program For Women, Infants, & Children (WIC)
Arizona’s WIC program is a nutrition program that educates residents on how to stay healthy by eating well.
Eligibility Requirements
WIC is for infants, children under the age of five, pregnant women, breastfeeding women with an infant under the age of 1, and women who were pregnant less than six months ago.
Funding Amount
WIC is a program that provides education and referrals to receive information on how to better take care of oneself and children. There is no specific funding amount that individuals receive.
Website and Contact Details
Visit your local WIC office, or you can call 1-800-252-5942. The WIC website for Arizona also has a wealth of information.
Unemployment Arizona Assistance Program
No one knows when job loss will strike. Since many people, especially single parents, live paycheck to paycheck, unemployment insurance is a good idea.
Arizona Unemployment Insurance
The Arizona Unemployment Insurance (UI) program offers money to individuals who have lost their job. This is temporary financial assistance to provide a bridge in finding new employment.
Eligibility Requirements
You must have received at least 390 times the Arizona minimum wage in your highest-earning quarter. You must also have at least $7,000 in total wages in at least two quarters. One quarter must be equal to or more than $5987.50.
Funding Amount
The amount received will be based on how much you earned. Careful analysis of your wages will determine how much you will receive during your unemployment.
Website and Contact Details
For more information about Arizona’s UI, visit the Arizona Department of Economic Security website.
Child Support Assistance Programs In Arizona
Since children are the most important part of a single-parent family, they need to be cared for in every way possible. Care can be costly, and sometimes, child support payments do not meet the obligations. Arizona local government provides assistance programs to help.
Arizona Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)
The Arizona Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) provides parents with a low-cost or free child care option. This allows parents to hold employment for a more extended period without the stress of caring for their children.
Eligibility Requirements
Parents must be employed or part of the JOBS (Job Opportunities and Basic Skills) program. Those who are employed must work at least 20 hours per week. Family income must be below 165% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). Payment is considered before deductions, and both earned and unearned income is counted for eligibility.
Funding Amount
Children can receive child care part of a 24 hour day when the parent or caretaker cannot care for them.
Website and Contact Details
For more information about the CCAP, visit the Arizona Department of Economic Security website’s DES Child Care section.
Arizona Assistance Programs: Kids care
KidsCare was a program offered to Arizona residents with a low income and children. Since January 1, 2010, this program has been frozen because of a lack of funding. Those who already have KidsCare continue to receive benefits.
Website and Contact Details
For more information about KidsCare, visit the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) website. This website will be able to tell you if the program reopens.
Arizona Head Start and Early Head Start
Head Start is a Federal program designed to help children in low-income households get the pre-education they need to start school with an edge. It helps with cognitive, social, and emotional development. The program focuses on language, literacy, social and emotional development.
Eligibility Requirements
You must be a resident of Arizona. Children must be under five years old and come from a low-income household. Low income is determined by the Poverty Guidelines from the Federal government.
| 2014 POVERTY GUIDELINES FOR THE 48 CONTIGUOUS STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA | |
| Persons in family/household | Poverty guideline |
| 1 | $11,670 |
| 2 | 15,730 |
| 3 | 19,790 |
| 4 | 23,850 |
| 5 | 27,910 |
| 6 | 31,970 |
| 7 | 36,030 |
| 8 | 40,090 |
| For families/households with more than 8 persons, add $4,060 for each additional person. |
Funding Amount
Money is not provided. The program takes place at a public educational institution.
Website and Contact Details
For more information, visit the Arizona Head Start Association Early Head Start website or call 602-338-0449.
Scholarships In Arizona
Since single-family homes do not have a lot of extra income, many children growing up in them do not have the funds to afford to pay for their children’s college education. Scholarships and grants are viable ways to receive the assistance these children need to begin life one step ahead of the poverty level.
Arizona College Scholarship Foundation
The Arizona College Scholarship Foundation allows high school seniors and college students to apply for scholarships online with one application. The application is used to apply to more than 80 scholarships, which increases the chances they will receive one or more of them.
Eligibility Requirements
Anyone in the United States can apply for scholarships. Applicants must be high school seniors, college students, or graduate-level students. Applications should be submitted starting in January and must be resubmitted each year.
Funding Amount
Funding amounts vary depending on the scholarships the applicants are eligible for. It is difficult to identify how much money can be received from this foundation’s program with so many.
Website and Contact Details
For more information, visit the Arizona Community Foundation website. Applications can be submitted online to make it easy to apply for all of the program’s awards.
Helios Scholarship
The Helios Foundation is another Arizona assistance program for Arizona and, in this case, Florida residents to be able to succeed in postsecondary education. It assists Early Grade Success, College and Career Readiness, and Postsecondary Completion.
Eligibility requirements
There are no eligibility requirements because the foundation’s mission is to place opportunities that will increase residents’ chances to succeed in education.
Funding Amount
Funding is not provided to individuals. Opportunities to learn and grow are part of this program’s mission.
Website and Contact Details
For more information about the Helios Foundation, visit the program’s website.
Arizona Grants
Grants provide money to awardees that do not need to be paid back. This is a great prize to children of single-parent families because it can significantly reduce the number of loans they must acquire to seek a college education.
Arizona Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (AZLEAP)
AzLeap creates partnerships between the state government and institutions to provide students with financial assistance.
Eligibility Requirements
Students must be from low-income households, be undergraduate students, and Arizona residents.
Funding Amount
The average amount students receive is $1,000 for each academic year. The maximum amount awarded has been $2,500.
Website and Contact Details
For more information about AzLeap, visit the Arizona Student Financial Aid Programs website. You can also call 602-258-2435.
The Postsecondary Education Grant (PEG)
This is a student-centered program that provides a loan to students to make it possible for them to continue their higher education.
Eligibility Requirements
Students must be Arizona residents and attend a private postsecondary baccalaureate degree program in Arizona.
Funding Amount
The maximum amount of the award is $2,000 per year for four years. The money can be used for tuition, books, and college-associated fees. The award only has to be repaid if the student fails to complete the bachelor’s degree program in five years.
Website and Contact Details
Since the 2012-2013 academic year, PEG has been suspended due to a lack of funding. To stay up to date on this opportunity, visit the PEG webpage each year.
A few Arizona assistance programs are available in grants, but for more information on charges for single parents across the US, click here.
Homeschooling Assistance Program In Arizona
Homeschooling provides single-parent households to educate their children from a place that they feel most comfortable. Children can be taught according to their own learning styles and speed. Each state has different homeschooling laws, so it is essential to research them before deciding to homeschool.
Homeschooling Laws
Children must be between the ages of 6 and 16 by September 1. For children who are 6 by September but under the age of 8, a letter must be sent to the County School Superintendent (CSS) indicating that the parent doesn’t want his/her child attending public school. Visit the Arizona Families for Home Education website for a CSS list to send the letter to approval.
Eligibility Requirements
Each county in Arizona has its own eligibility requirements for homeschooling. The A2Z Homes Cool website has a list of all the Arizona counties with information on what each one requires.
Different Available Programs
Many programs exist for homeschooling children in Arizona. Arizona Connections Academy offers a program that many residents utilize. Some online programs and classes satisfy the requirements for the state.
Website and Contact Details
Visit the Arizona Department of Education website for more information about homeschooling laws and programs.
Other Arizona Assistance Programs
With all of the plans available in Arizona, additional ones do not fit into the main categories of assistance. The Arizona Cash Assistance Program and Arizona Utility Insurance Program are two.
Arizona Assistance Programs: Cash and Utility Insurance
Arizona’s cash assistance program is called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Cash Assistance (CA). This program helps families who cannot afford their children’s basic needs to remain safe and healthy.
Eligibility Requirements
Dependent children must be under the age of 19. If the child is 18, he/she must be a full-time student in high school or a vocational school. The child must be in the care of his/her parent or close relative (grandparent, aunt, uncle, etc.). The child’s parent may receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or the child may be part of the Kinship Foster Care Program.
Recipients must be a resident of Arizona, a U.S. citizen, sign a Personal Responsibility Agreement, and meet income eligibility.
Funding Amount
The funding amount depends on your needs and income. Recipients receive an EBT card that works like an ATM/Debit card, which can be used at most stores.
Website and Contact Details
Visit the Arizona Department of Economic Security website for more information on Arizona’s CA program.
Arizona Utility Insurance Program (LIHEAP)
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps low-income households pay for their energy bills. This can help with accounts in the summer and winter since too hot and too cold conditions can lead to illness and other health problems.
Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility requirements depend on annual household income.
Funding Amount
Recipients receive assistance with paying their bills, repairing HVAC units, and/or weatherizing their homes.
Website and Contact Details
For more information about the Arizona Utility Assistance Program (LIHEAP) or other Arizona assistance programs, visit the Arizona Department of Economic Security website.
