Financial Assistance for Teen Moms

Teenage mothers face a multitude of concerns. One of the biggest concerns is the financial responsibility that comes along with raising a child. This can be especially scary for someone who may not even have finished high school. How do you raise a child if you don’t even have a job?

The good news is there are government programs in place to help. Everything from medical care to college assistance is available, if you just know where to look.

The first priority is prenatal care. It is so very important to have regular prenatal checkups. This increases your chances of carrying your baby to term with the least amount of problems. The cost of delivering a baby and regular checkups can be astronomical. Most insurance plans do not cover dependent maternity benefits. This means that even if you are on mom and dad’s insurance, your pregnancy may not be covered.

Medicaid is usually an option. In most states, the income of your parents does not matter if you are 18 or younger. Being pregnant and under 18 are the only qualifications. Medicaid pays for prenatal visits, delivery, and prescriptions. Usually, there is no co-pay (or if there is one, it is less than $10). Even if you have insurance that covers your pregnancy, go ahead and sign up for Medicaid. It will take care of your co-pays and deductibles of your other insurance. It also automatically covers the baby for 1 year.

WIC is another excellent option for pregnant teens. According to its website, “The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides Federal grants to States for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk.” If you qualify for Medicaid, you automatically qualify for WIC. This allows you to receive food, formula (if you aren’t breastfeeding), and education about nutrition at no cost.

There are other state and federal programs that may be able to help you. Most of these (food stamps, TANF, etc.) are based on income and include everyone in the household’s income. You may not qualify for these programs depending on the amount of income your parents receive. However, when you apply for Medicaid, you can ask for additional information about these programs and your case worker will be happy to help you.

College is another major worry. However, there are many scholarships and grants that can help through this journey. Here is a website that focuses directly on scholarships for single moms.

Hopefully, this helps during this difficult and scary journey. If you have any ideas, please leave a comment for the other readers.