Best sources
Official federal, state, county, city, court, housing authority, school, Medicaid, SNAP, WIC, TANF, child care, legal-aid, and public agency sources.
Editorial policy
This page explains how A Single Mother should research, write, update, and correct assistance guides.
Important site issue to fix
If the old Editorial Policy URL redirects to an unrelated outside website, remove that redirect immediately and publish this page at the correct ASMOM URL. A trust page should never send readers to a random commercial site.
Our editorial goal
Every guide should help a real single parent decide what to do next. We write for readers who may be tired, short on money, caring for children, facing paperwork, or dealing with a deadline. Accuracy and usefulness come before SEO.
We avoid hype, scare tactics, fake urgency, “free money” language, and promises that a reader will qualify. When a benefit is not truly a grant, we say so plainly.
Source standards
Useful support sources
High-trust nonprofits, universities, legal-aid groups, community action agencies, official 211 pages, and recognized local providers.
Avoid
Thin directories, scraped sites, forums, low-quality blogs, unverifiable claims, paid placement, affiliate pages, and pages with fake grant promises.
What must be verified before publishing
- Program names, official links, phone numbers, forms, deadlines, open/closed status, and office locations.
- Eligibility rules involving income, family size, pregnancy, child age, custody, residency, disability, veteran status, immigration status, work activity, or school enrollment.
- Dollar amounts, benefit amounts, fees, waiting periods, appeal deadlines, and application windows.
- Whether help is statewide, county-based, city-based, school-based, nonprofit-based, or only available when funds exist.
Writing rules
| Rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| Use plain English | Explain agency terms the first time they appear. Keep sentences short and useful. |
| Show the next step | Do not only define a program. Tell the reader where to start, what to ask, and what documents may be needed. |
| Be honest about limits | Say when funding is limited, rules vary, waitlists exist, or approval is not guaranteed. |
| Keep pages focused | A state housing page should not become a full guide to every benefit in that state. |
| Use respectful wording | Do not shame parents, romanticize struggle, or use dramatic sales language. |
Updates and corrections
Guides should be reviewed regularly, especially pages about benefits, housing, child care, school aid, legal rights, emergency programs, and dollar limits. When a reader reports an error, we review the page, verify the claim against official or high-trust sources, and update the page if a correction is needed.
Send corrections to info@asinglemother.org. Resource suggestions can be sent to suggestions@asinglemother.org.