Grants for Single Mothers in Vermont (2026 Guide)

Where to start

Start with the problem that could harm your family first. No food, no heat, a shutoff notice, an eviction notice, unsafe housing, or lost child care needs faster action than a college plan or housing waitlist.

What grants usually means in Vermont

Search pages often call every type of help a grant. Most reliable Vermont programs are benefits, discounts, services, vouchers, tax credits, scholarships, or payments sent to a provider.

Reach Up provides cash for an eligible household. 3SquaresVT provides food benefits. Medicaid pays health providers. Child care assistance pays an approved provider and may leave a family share. Fuel Assistance usually pays a fuel dealer or utility. A housing voucher lowers rent but is not emergency cash. A Vermont Grant helps with school costs.

The best plan is usually to use several programs that fit the household. Eligibility for one does not guarantee another, but working parents can qualify for many types of help.

Quick reference: real Vermont help

Cash assistance through Reach Up

Vermont Reach Up is the state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families cash program. It can help eligible families with children pay for basics. It also connects many parents with case management, work planning, child care, transportation, education, and job support.

Reach First is a short-term option for some families that are likely to need brief help. Reach Ahead can provide added support after a family leaves Reach Up for work. DCF decides which path fits the household.

Important 2026 change

Vermont removed the Reach Up asset test effective July 1, 2026. The official Reach Up memo says DCF no longer evaluates resources to decide eligibility. Income and other rules still apply, and some lump-sum payments may still affect the case.

Reach Up generally has a 60-month lifetime limit, but not every month counts and some families can continue under specific work, caregiving, disability, or domestic-violence rules. Ask DCF how many countable months are on your case.

Apply through myBenefits or call 1-800-479-6151. ASMOM’s Vermont Reach Up guide explains applications, work plans, good cause, documents, and appeals.

Food help

3SquaresVT

3SquaresVT is Vermont’s SNAP program. It helps eligible households buy food. Apply through myBenefits, by paper application, or with help from DCF.

Apply even if you work, share housing, or think income may be close to the limit. Household rules, rent, child care, and other deductions can affect the decision. If the household has very little money or food, ask whether expedited service applies.

ASMOM’s Vermont food guide covers EBT safety, local food programs, and case problems.

WIC

Vermont WIC serves eligible pregnant people, people who were pregnant in the last six months, breastfeeding parents with a baby up to 12 months, and infants or children under 5.

WIC provides approved foods, nutrition support, breastfeeding help, and referrals. The income screen is generally 185% of the federal poverty level. A person who receives 3SquaresVT, Medicaid, or TANF may already meet the income part but still completes the WIC process.

Start online or call a local WIC office. ASMOM’s Vermont WIC guide explains appointments and documents.

Food shelves and school meals

Use the Vermont Foodbank and 211 to find food shelves and meal sites. Ask your child’s school about breakfast, lunch, summer meals, and SUN Bucks. These can help while another case is pending.

Housing, rent, and homelessness help

Vermont housing help uses several systems. Emergency shelter, Coordinated Entry, public housing, project-based apartments, Housing Choice Vouchers, legal help, and local prevention funds have different rules.

If you are homeless or at risk

Call 211 for a safe place tonight. Contact the Coordinated Entry lead agency for your area for a housing assessment and referrals. Coordinated Entry can connect people with shelter, prevention, rapid re-housing, or longer-term programs, but it cannot guarantee housing.

Voucher and rent-aid status

The Vermont State Housing Authority closed its main Housing Choice Voucher waiting list on January 31, 2025. The official voucher closure notice remains posted. Local housing authorities and project-based properties may use separate lists.

VSHA also closed new applications for its Rental Arrears Eviction Prevention Program on April 1, 2026 because applications were expected to use all available funds. The rent program notice says earlier applications are still being processed, but payment is not guaranteed.

Do not pay anyone to join a public housing list. If you receive an eviction notice, contact housing help and VTLawHelp at the same time. ASMOM’s Vermont housing guide lists more state and local doors.

Health coverage, pregnancy, and young children

Use Vermont Health Connect to apply for Medicaid, Dr. Dynasaur, or a marketplace plan. Call 1-855-899-9600 for application and coverage help.

For 2026, the main monthly income screen is 138% of the federal poverty level for many adults ages 19 through 64. Dr. Dynasaur uses 317% for children under 19 and 213% for pregnancy coverage. Household and tax rules can change the result, so apply rather than relying only on a chart.

If a medical bill is already unpaid, ask the hospital or clinic for its financial-assistance application. Coverage approval and charity care are separate decisions.

ASMOM’s Vermont health guide covers Medicaid, clinics, pregnancy care, dental help, and appeals.

Child care financial assistance

Vermont’s Child Care Financial Assistance program helps eligible families pay for regulated child care, preschool, afterschool, or summer care.

A family normally needs an accepted reason for care, such as work, school, training, seeking employment, a child’s special health need, or another approved situation. The child care provider must be eligible to receive program payments.

Current income range

The current posted guidelines extend eligibility up to 575% of the federal poverty level. The CCFAP income chart lists a weekly family share from $0 to $425 based on income. Other rules still apply, and a provider may charge costs not covered by the benefit.

Apply through a child care support agency. Bring work, school, training, income, household, and provider information. Confirm the approved start date before care begins.

ASMOM’s Vermont child care guide explains applications, providers, family shares, and case problems.

Fuel, utilities, and local support

Seasonal Fuel Assistance helps eligible households pay part of their heating costs. It may help renters, homeowners, households that buy fuel, and some households with heat included in rent.

The seasonal income limit is generally 185% of the federal poverty guidelines. Crisis Fuel uses a 200% screen and is for winter heating emergencies. The 2025–2026 Crisis Fuel season has ended. The next exact opening date has not yet been announced.

Find your local office through the Community Action directory. In summer, ask about local fuel, utility, town, or private emergency funds. Call the utility before the shutoff date and request a payment plan.

ASMOM’s Vermont utility guide covers current fuel status, discounts, shutoff rules, weatherization, and water help.

Work, education, and tax help

Unemployment

If you lost work or hours through no fault of your own, use Vermont’s new claimant portal. File the first claim, complete weekly claims, update contact information, and read every notice. Unemployment is insurance, not a grant.

College and training grants

For the 2026–2027 school year, start with FAFSA First. A FAFSA can open federal Pell Grants, Vermont Grants, work-study, and school aid. Students who cannot complete a FAFSA may have another Vermont pathway.

The VSAC grant page covers full-time, part-time, and nondegree training aid. Apply early because some awards depend on available funds. Ask the school about emergency aid, books, tools, transportation, food, and child care.

ASMOM’s Vermont education guide explains the FAFSA, Vermont aid, and school support.

Tax credits and renter credit

Working parents may qualify for federal and Vermont tax credits. Vermont has a state Earned Income Tax Credit, a refundable Child Tax Credit for qualifying young children, and a Renter Credit for eligible tenants.

Check the current Vermont Renter Credit page before filing. For 2025 tax-year claims filed in 2026, late renter claims may be accepted through October 15 with a late fee. ASMOM’s Vermont tax guide covers free filing and family credits.

Documents to gather

Start the application even if one paper is missing. Ask what other proof the office accepts, and keep a copy of everything you send.

ASMOM’s documents checklist gives a longer list.

Backup options while you wait

• Call 211 and ask for several referrals, not only one.
• Ask a school counselor, nurse, or family liaison about food, clothing, supplies, and local programs.
• Ask a Parent Child Center, home visitor, health department, or clinic social worker for referrals.
• Ask Community Action about fuel, weatherization, housing, food, transportation, and town resources.
• Ask a college about emergency grants, food shelves, child care, books, and transportation.
• Ask a utility, landlord, or provider for a written payment plan while another application is pending.