Grants for Single Mothers in Vermont (2026 Guide)

Where to start in Virginia

Start with the problem that could hurt your family first. Food, shelter, safety, medical care, heat, and child care for work should move to the front of the line. A grant search can wait if your SNAP application is pending, you have a utility shutoff notice, your child care fell through, or you received eviction papers.

For a broader national explanation of realistic help, read ASMOM’s real grant guide. Then come back to Virginia’s official portals and local systems.

Quick reference table

What counts as a grant in Virginia?

When people search for grants, they often mean any help that does not have to be paid back. In Virginia, the help may be called a benefit, subsidy, voucher, tax credit, crisis payment, scholarship, legal service, or local emergency fund.

Examples include TANF cash assistance, SNAP food benefits, WIC, Medicaid, FAMIS, the Child Care Subsidy Program, Energy Assistance, PIPP, housing vouchers, legal aid, school grants, and local nonprofit funds. Some of these pay you directly. Others pay a landlord, utility, provider, school, or grocery card. None of them should be described as guaranteed free money.

Cash and financial help in Virginia

When people search for grants for single mothers, they usually need flexible money. In Virginia, the main cash program for families with children is TANF. Other money paths include one-time TANF-related crisis help, child support, tax credits, school aid, and local emergency funds.

TANF cash assistance

Virginia TANF provides eligible families with monthly cash payments to help meet basic needs and connects some families to education, training, and employment services. Eligible families generally must include a child living with a parent or caretaker relative, and the child must meet age, residency, citizenship or eligible immigration, and financial need rules.

TANF is not a private grant. Your payment depends on family size, countable income, locality group, deductions, and case details. Ask your worker for the payment estimate in writing and ask what proof is missing.

For more detail before you apply, read ASMOM’s TANF in Virginia guide.

One-time TANF-related crisis help

Ask your local DSS office about Diversionary Assistance and Emergency Assistance if a short-term payment could help avoid deeper crisis. These programs are tied to TANF rules and may help with needs such as shelter, food, medical costs, transportation connected to employment, child care, or eviction prevention. Approval is not automatic, and the office may require a TANF application or specific proof.

Child support

Virginia MyChildSupport lets parents and caregivers apply for services, upload documents, view payments, and message the case specialist. Child support can be important long term, but it is not fast emergency money. If safety is a concern, tell the agency before sharing address or location information.

For a step-by-step overview, use ASMOM’s Virginia child support page.

Tax credits

If you worked during the year, do not skip tax filing. Virginia Tax says the refundable Virginia Earned Income Tax Credit is equal to 20% of the federal EITC for eligible filers. Free tax prep may also help you check federal EITC, Child Tax Credit, child care-related credits, and the Virginia credit.

Housing and rent help

Virginia does not have one simple statewide rent grant for every family behind on rent. The old statewide Rent Relief Program closed to new applications in May 2022. Current help is usually local through homeless crisis systems, city or county programs, legal aid, nonprofits, churches, and housing authorities.

If you may lose housing soon, start with the DHCD housing crisis contact for your locality. DHCD says access to each community’s homeless crisis response system is through the primary contact number in its crisis directory or map. Tell the screener if you are pregnant, have children, are fleeing violence, are sleeping in a car or motel, have a court date, or cannot safely return where you stayed last night.

If you need a cheaper rental, use VirginiaHousingSearch, a free rental locator sponsored by Virginia Housing. For long-term help, ask local public housing authorities about public housing and Housing Choice Voucher waitlists. Virginia Housing’s voucher page says the waiting list it administers is currently closed, but local administrators and housing authorities can have different openings.

If you have an eviction notice, summons, unlawful detainer, writ, or court date, contact legal aid and use the Eviction Defense Center immediately. Housing court deadlines are strict, and applying for rent help does not automatically protect you from a judgment or lockout.

For a deeper housing walk-through, see ASMOM’s Virginia housing help guide.

Food help in Virginia

SNAP is Virginia’s main monthly food benefit. SNAP can be used like cash to buy eligible food at authorized retailers. Apply through CommonHelp, by phone, by paper, or through your local DSS office. If your household has very little income or resources, ask for expedited SNAP when you apply and clearly explain that food is urgent.

While you wait, use 211 for pantries, school meals, community meals, and local food referrals. SNAP can reduce grocery pressure, but it will not pay rent or utilities.

Virginia WIC helps eligible pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding people, plus infants and children under age 5. It can provide food benefits, nutrition support, breastfeeding help, and referrals. WIC is separate from SNAP, and some families can use both.

Virginia SUN Bucks helps eligible families pay for groceries during summer break. Virginia DSS says each eligible school-age child receives a one-time $120 benefit in 2026. Some children receive it automatically through SNAP, TANF, income-based medical assistance, or school meal data, while others may need an application.

For more detail, use ASMOM’s WIC guide and the national school meals guide.

Health coverage and medical help

Start with Cover Virginia for Medicaid, FAMIS, pregnancy coverage, and application help. Adults, children, pregnant people, and postpartum mothers can have different eligibility rules, so do not assume “no” without a full review.

Virginia offers Medicaid for Pregnant Women, FAMIS MOMS, and FAMIS Prenatal Coverage. Cover Virginia says Medicaid for pregnant women includes full health care benefits during pregnancy and for 12 months after the baby’s birth. The state also notes that Medicaid and FAMIS MOMS members receive continuous postpartum coverage through 12 months.

If care cannot wait, ask a clinic, hospital, health department, or application assister about starting coverage. If Medicaid is not available, compare plans through the Virginia Marketplace.

For more detail after birth, read ASMOM’s postpartum coverage guide. For broader medical basics, see Medicaid and CHIP.

Child care and early learning

Virginia’s Child Care Subsidy Program can help eligible families pay part of child care costs so parents can work, look for work, attend school, complete training, participate in VIEW or SNAP Employment and Training, or meet certain child protective services needs. The state child care site lists CommonHelp and local DSS offices as application routes.

Apply as soon as child care is blocking work, school, or training. Then call providers and ask whether they accept subsidy, have an opening for your child’s age, can cover your schedule, and charge extra fees.

Applications are generally reviewed by the local department within 30 days, but your name may go on a waitlist if funds are not available. The program cannot pay for care before your provider receives written authorization, so do not assume past care will be covered.

For young children, also check Head Start, Early Head Start, the Virginia Preschool Initiative, and your school division’s preschool options. ASMOM’s child care guide and Head Start guide can help.

Utility and bill help

Virginia’s Energy Assistance Program helps eligible households with heating, cooling, energy emergencies, and home energy efficiency. The program has four parts: Fuel Assistance, Crisis Assistance, Cooling Assistance, and Weatherization Assistance.

For 2026, the main dates are seasonal. Fuel Assistance runs from the second Tuesday in October through the second Friday in November. Crisis Assistance runs from November 1 through March 15 for certain heating emergencies. Cooling Assistance runs from June 15 through August 15 for eligible households with a vulnerable person.

If your electric company is Dominion Energy or Appalachian Power, ask about Virginia PIPP. PIPP can set the bill at 10% of income if the household heats with electricity or 6% if it uses another heating source. Missing payments or failing to reverify income can remove a household from the program.

For more crisis planning, use ASMOM’s Virginia emergency help page and the national LIHEAP utility guide.

Work, training, and school help

For job search, résumé help, and training referrals, start with Virginia Career Works. If you receive TANF, VIEW may also connect you with work activities, training, supportive services, and employment steps. If you receive SNAP, ask whether SNAP Employment and Training can help with work-related services.

If you need a short path into a better job, FastForward offers short-term workforce training through Virginia’s community colleges. G3 tuition assistance may help eligible Virginia residents pay for approved community college programs in high-demand fields.

If school is your plan, file the official FAFSA form and ask the college financial aid office about Pell Grants, state grants, scholarships, emergency aid, work-study, and child care support.

ASMOM’s Virginia education grants page and national Pell and FAFSA guide can help you compare options.

Documents to gather before you apply

You do not need every paper before starting an application, especially in an emergency. Apply or call first, then send missing proof when the office requests it. Still, missing proof can slow down a case. Keep copies and screenshots of everything you submit.

For a broader checklist, use ASMOM’s documents checklist.

If you are denied, delayed, or ignored

Do not start over unless the agency tells you to. First, find out what happened to the case you already opened. Save confirmation numbers, screenshots, and notices.

For many DSS benefit appeals, Virginia uses the VDSS appeals process. Medicaid and FAMIS appeals are handled through DMAS. The Virginia courts self-help site can explain some court processes, but only a lawyer can give legal advice for your case.

Use ASMOM’s benefits problems guide if you need a plain next-step checklist.

Related help to check

• Community action help
• Domestic violence safety
• Free diapers and baby gear
• Pregnancy and newborn help
• Phone and internet help
• TANF cash guide
• Pregnancy workplace rights