Where To Find Food Assistance For Your Kids As A Single Parent

What’s your main priority as a single parent? Most likely, it’s your kids. You want to ensure they have a roof over their head and live in a clean, safe home. You also want to ensure that their nutrition is up to snuff, and they get all the meals they need.

With rising costs, achieving these goals can become increasingly difficult. How might you choose to achieve them? By working longer hours, seeking side income, or trying to work two jobs. Can such moves help you keep food on the table? Sure, but they’ll take time away from your kids, and they could cause your child care costs to skyrocket.

What’s the best move as it relates to food for a single parent? Find food assistance through one of these options:

For Emergencies, Call the National Hunger Hotline or 211

If you don’t know where your next meal will come from and your kids are hungry, calling the National Hunger Hotline may be your best bet. Many see it as a form of emergency food assistance, as it can put you in touch with resources close to you to find help quickly.

Call 866-3-HUNGRY between 7 am and 10 pm, Monday through Friday, and someone from the hotline will help you get food fast.

211 is similar to the National Hunger Hotline, as it’s a number you can call to get direction on where to look for food when your family is hungry. 211 can help you find local food distribution sites, or put you in touch with a nearby community or religious organization that offers nutritional aid to those in need.

Does 211 only offer food assistance? No, as they are somewhat of a one-stop-shop for several needs, such as housing, healthcare, and other essential needs.

WIC

If you’re pregnant or just had a child, nutrition is crucial. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC, can help you get the specific food to suit your needs.

It may not be emergency food assistance, but if you’ve been having trouble regularly feeding yourself and your kids, you’ll want to apply for WIC for stability in the near future.

SNAP

Like WIC, SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program isn’t emergency food assistance that’ll help feed you today. You’ll have to apply for benefits, but if you qualify, you can get the funds you need to feed your kids regularly.

You can apply for SNAP by going here.

Summer Food Service Program

Your kids’ nutrition may suffer when school is not in session. To avoid this, you can contact the Summer Food Service Program that offers meals and snacks to kids while on vacation.

National School Lunch Program

Kids can get free or low-cost lunches at school through this program. Help with even just one meal per day can go a long way.

School Breakfast Program

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day. A child can have a tough time in school if they go to class hungry, which is why this program could be a lifesaver for a single parent.