Help for Pregnant Moms Who Can’t Work and Need Money

Federally Funded Aide Programs

The cost of having a baby has risen significantly. Doctor’s bills, diapers, hospitalization fees, prenatal care, formula, and more have made being pregnant a fairly costly affair. Women who can’t work while they are pregnant may need to get help with their expenses.

The government provides a number of assistance programs to help cover costs for low- or no-income families. Each program may have different qualifications and requirements, but they are all worth looking into for help. Although most programs do not give cash handouts, assistance for rent, groceries, or heating bills are common if you meet the guidelines. If you are a pregnant mom who can’t work and need help, you may qualify for some of these programs.

Many programs are funded federally with national procedures and rules but are administered and run at the state or local level.

Women, Infants, and Children: WIC Program

The WIC program is administered by state agencies who receive grants from the federal government. Not only is healthcare and nutrition information distributed, but financial assistance towards healthy grocery purchases. Income guidelines and eligibility requirements must be met. To find out more, contact your state agency.

HUD Rental Assistance

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offers three types of aide programs for low income people:

1. Privately owned subsidized housing: Search for an apartment then apply for help through the management office.
2. Public housing: Local agencies administer the public housing programs and must be contacted.
3. Housing choice voucher program: This option allows a tenant to find their own housing and use vouchers to pay for the unit, with approval from landlord and the housing agency.

Income guidelines must be met. Contact your local agency for more information.

Medicaid

Medicaid is a federally funded health insurance program that can offset prenatal visits. Income and other eligibility requirements must be met. Medicaid pays doctors, hospitals, and clinics and does not offer funds directly to you. Contact your state Medicaid office for more information.

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program: LIHEAP

LIHEAP is a federally funded program administered at the state level to provide assistance for help paying your home’s heating and cooling bills. Eligibility requirements can vary from place to place. To apply for LIHEAP, visit your state’s LIHEAP state grantee.

Food Stamps

The food stamp program is for low-income consumers who need help buying groceries, funded through the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service. If you qualify, a card is given to you once a month with an allotted amount of money for certain groceries. To apply, you must go through your state’s benefits office and meet their requirements.

State Aide for Pregnant Moms

Finding state help for pregnant moms who can’t work and need money can be more challenging. Your healthcare provider or county health office are two places to start. Other state agencies to check into include:

• Rural Assistance Center
• State Human Service Agency
• Call the Maternal and Child Health Bureau at 1-800-311-BABY for services near you

Local services in your own community may include food bank help, housing through local charitable programs, or even monetary help from certain organizations. Churches and doctor’s offices may have listings of organizations that can help you in your situation.

Creative Solutions Provide Help for Pregnant Moms Who Can’t Work and Need Money

While programs that help pay bills are excellent, cash is still needed for paying bills like repairs or insurance. Because you cannot work, you must come up with creative solutions for finding needed cash. These solutions can include:

• Having a yard/garage sale of items you no longer use or need. Use free advertising like signs on community billboards or word-of-mouth with friends to get customers.
• Selling books, CDs, clothes, and household appliances on Internet listings like eBay or craigslist.
• Mystery shopping for companies, but be wary of schemes that require you to pay them before they hire you.
• Blogging about your life online can be profitable if you have something interesting to talk about, like your pregnancy or other life situations. Being an entertaining writer and having access to the computer/Internet make this more difficult, but you may be able to use computers at the library.

Small service jobs can help bring in some extra cash as well. Pick a service that you have the skills to provide and that's needed in your area. Services can include:

• House sitting
• Dog walking
• Babysitting
• Personal shopping
• Lawn mowing or yardwork (with doctor’s permission)
• House cleaning (be careful of chemical exposure and get your doctor’s permission first)
• Clothing alterations or repairs

Hang flyers up on community bulletin boards or get started by doing services for a friend or two. Word of mouth is a great way for you to build up some extra clients and get some cash from non-traditional jobs. Post a comment at the end of this article if you know of any other creative solutions to finding cash when you are out of work and pregnant!

Help is available for pregnant women having trouble finding or keeping jobs, for whatever reason. If you need assistance in paying your bills or finding cash, the resources listed above are a great starting point. Check out the article Pregnancy Free Gifts to find out how to get some free samples and gifts to help out once your baby is born.