Last updated: May 20, 2026
Bottom line
If you are a single mother in Montana dealing with domestic violence, contact a trained advocate before making big moves when you can do so safely. An advocate can help with shelter, court, housing, benefits, child care, and child safety.
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For confidential domestic violence support, call the National Hotline at 800-799-SAFE, text START to 88788, or chat online. For Montana-specific referrals, use the MCADSV directory to find a local victim service program by region.
This guide focuses on Montana safety, shelter, protection orders, address privacy, housing rights, benefits, and legal aid. For a national overview, start with ASMOM’s domestic violence hub. For other state help, use the Montana help guide.
Urgent help now
If you or your children may be hurt right now, call 911. If it is not safe to call, use the safest option available to you, such as a trusted neighbor, a public place, a school office, a clinic, or a safe phone.
| Need | Start here | What to say |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate danger | 911 | Say you need help for domestic violence and children are present, if they are. |
| Domestic violence advocate | National Hotline | Ask for Montana shelter, legal, and safety referrals. |
| Native survivor support | StrongHearts Helpline | Ask for culturally grounded domestic or sexual violence support. |
| Emotional crisis | Montana 988 | Call or text 988 if you may harm yourself, feel unsafe, or need crisis support. |
| Food, shelter, local aid | Montana 211 | Ask for domestic violence shelter, food, rent, utilities, and transportation help. |
| Child abuse concern | Child Abuse Hotline | Call 866-820-5437 if a child may be abused or neglected. |
If you think someone is watching your phone, browser, email, bank account, location, or social media, use a safer device before searching for help. The Montana LawHelp page also warns that abusers may track online activity and points readers to safer legal and safety resources.
Where to start in Montana
You do not have to solve everything today. Pick the next safest step. If one office cannot help, ask for another referral.
If you need safety tonight
Call a local advocate or the National Hotline. Ask about shelter, hotel options, safe transportation, and backup plans if no bed is open.
If you need court protection
Talk with an advocate, then review Montana’s protection order forms. A court order is not a full safety plan, but it can create enforceable no-contact rules.
If you need food or cash
Apply for SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, or LIHEAP through apply.mt.gov. You can also call the Montana Public Assistance Helpline at 888-706-1535.
If you need legal help
Use Montana LawHelp and ASMOM’s Montana legal help page for custody, protection order, benefits, housing, and safety-related legal resources.
Quick reference table
| Problem | First place to ask | Reality check |
|---|---|---|
| Safe place to stay | Local domestic violence program or 211 | Shelter beds and hotel funds can be limited. Ask for backup referrals. |
| No-contact court order | Court clerk, advocate, or Montana court forms | You must attend the hearing if you want the temporary order to continue. |
| Hidden mailing address | Montana DOJ Address Confidentiality Program | You generally must have moved to a new Montana address unknown to the abuser. |
| Food this week | SNAP and local food pantries | Some SNAP cases may get expedited service, but not every case qualifies. |
| Cash for children | Montana TANF | TANF has work, cooperation, and time-limit rules. Ask about good cause if child support is unsafe. |
| Child care to work or study | Best Beginnings Scholarship | Eligibility depends on income, activity rules, child care type, and available providers. |
| Crime-related bills | Crime Victim Compensation | It is not instant cash. It may pay eligible providers or reimburse eligible costs. |
Find a Montana domestic violence advocate
A domestic violence advocate can help with safety planning, shelter referrals, protection orders, court support, housing paperwork, benefits referrals, and child-related safety concerns.
The MCADSV directory organizes victim service programs by Montana region. MCADSV says it does not provide direct services itself, but it can connect people to programs in their area. Its statewide number is 1-888-404-7794.
The Montana DOJ also keeps a searchable list of victim advocates if you need help finding a program or system-based advocate.
Tip for rural areas
If your county has no nearby shelter, still call the closest advocacy program. Many programs serve more than one county and can talk through transportation, court, hotel, or neighboring-county options.
Protection orders in Montana
An Order of Protection is a court order signed by a judge. Montana allows a person to ask for one when the other person is a family member, intimate partner, former intimate partner, stalker, or someone who physically or sexually assaulted them.
Montana DOJ recommends talking with a victim advocate first. If you choose to file, the petition can be filed in city, justice, or district court. If you already have a divorce or parenting-plan case, file in district court.
There is no filing cost. You will sign an affidavit. If the court finds danger, it may issue a Temporary Order of Protection and set a hearing. Attend the hearing if you want the order to stay in place.
| Step | What happens | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Talk to advocate | Review safety, forms, and timing. | Ask how service of papers usually works in your county. |
| File petition | Use Montana’s court forms or local court forms. | Ask how to keep your address private on the paperwork. |
| Temporary order | A judge may issue short-term protection. | Keep copies where you can safely reach them. |
| Hearing | Both sides may speak and show evidence. | Bring an advocate or support person if allowed. |
| After order | Give copies to school, child care, work, or housing if safe. | Ask DOJ about a Hope Card if you receive a permanent order. |
This is legal information, not legal advice. For help with protection orders, parenting plans, or hearings, contact an advocate or apply for civil legal help through MLSA domestic violence services.
Shelter, emergency housing, and rental rights
If you need to leave quickly, start with a local advocate or Montana 211. Ask about shelter, nearby partner programs, hotel help, transportation, and backup referrals.
Montana’s DOJ Emergency Lodging Fund was created to help victims of domestic violence or human trafficking with short-term lodging through referrals from approved organizations. As of this update, the DOJ page says funds are depleted and the program will be available again in July 2026. That means you should ask about it, but do not count on it as the only plan today.
If you live in HUD-assisted housing, public housing, a Housing Choice Voucher unit, or certain other covered housing, the federal HUD VAWA page explains protections that may help with denial, eviction, termination, confidentiality, and emergency transfer requests.
Montana’s voucher program page says the Housing Choice Voucher and Moderate Rehabilitation waitlists are open as of this review. It also says wait time depends on preference, application date and time, funding, people leaving the program, and the number of people on the list. Do not expect a voucher to solve an immediate safety crisis.
The EHV program page says Emergency Housing Voucher referrals are not being issued at this time, even though the program category includes people fleeing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking. Ask a Coordinated Entry contact or advocate what else is open locally.
For deeper Montana housing steps, see ASMOM’s Montana housing help and Montana emergency help guides.
Keeping your address private
The Montana DOJ Address Confidentiality Program can give qualifying victims a substitute address and free first-class confidential mail forwarding. The DOJ says the program is for qualifying victims who have moved to a new Montana location unknown to the abuser.
You may qualify if you are a Montana resident and a victim of partner or family member assault, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, or are eligible to apply for an order of protection. The program has an online application and a mail-in application, but the safest path is often to ask a victim advocate to help you complete it.
Watch out
Address confidentiality is not the same as hiding every record that already exists. Ask an advocate how the program works with school, court, benefits, driver licensing, child support, landlords, and mail. Do not assume an old address disappears from all records.
Money, food, health coverage, and child care
Leaving abuse can create an immediate money problem. You may need food, child care, health coverage, transportation, and safer housing at the same time. Apply early and keep copies.
The Montana public benefits portal lets you apply for food, heating, medical, and cash assistance at apply.mt.gov. The public assistance office page lists the Montana Public Assistance Helpline as 1-888-706-1535 and says office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For food, Montana SNAP says households may apply online, by phone, or through a local Office of Public Assistance. Expedited services may make food benefits available within seven calendar days for eligible households that meet income and resource tests. See ASMOM’s Montana SNAP help.
For cash help, Montana TANF can assist certain families with children and pregnant women in their last trimester. TANF is limited to 60 months in an adult’s lifetime. If child support cooperation could be unsafe, ask about good cause. See ASMOM’s Montana TANF help and Montana child support guide.
For child care, Montana’s Best Beginnings Scholarship helps eligible families pay child care costs. DPHHS says families under 185% of the Federal Poverty Level with children in licensed care, including some Family, Friend, and Neighbor care, may be eligible. ASMOM’s Montana child care guide can help.
If you are pregnant, postpartum, breastfeeding, or caring for a child under 5, check WIC and health coverage too. ASMOM has separate guides for Montana WIC and Montana health care.
Medical costs and crime victim compensation
If you were hurt in a crime, Montana’s Crime Victim Compensation program may help with eligible crime-related expenses. The DOJ says the program can pay up to $25,000 in benefits and may award benefits even if the offender was not arrested or prosecuted. Eligibility rules apply.
For sexual assault forensic exams, Montana’s FREPP page says federal law prohibits health care facilities from billing survivors for the cost of a forensic exam to collect evidence. The page also explains that FREPP pays for certain exams when the survivor is not ready to report to law enforcement at the time of care. Treatment for injuries may be billed separately, so ask the hospital billing office and an advocate for help if bills arrive.
If you are dealing with panic, trauma symptoms, depression, or fear of self-harm, use Montana 988 for crisis support. For longer-term help paths, see ASMOM’s Montana mental health guide. This article cannot diagnose or treat health conditions.
Children, school, and custody safety
Domestic violence can affect child care pickup, school records, transportation, custody exchanges, benefits, and child support. Ask the school or child care center how they handle pickup lists, emergency contacts, address privacy, and court orders.
If you believe a child is being abused or neglected, call Montana’s Child Abuse Hotline at 866-820-5437. If a child is in immediate danger, call 911 first.
For custody, parenting plans, divorce, or court papers, do not rely only on general internet advice. Talk with an advocate or lawyer. Montana LawHelp and Montana Legal Services Association can help you find forms, legal information, and possible representation. For transportation problems, ASMOM’s Montana transportation guide may help with rides to appointments, court, work, or child care.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Counting on one shelter bed. Ask every advocate for a backup plan and another referral.
- Missing the protection order hearing. If you cannot attend, call the court as early as possible and ask what to file.
- Using unsafe technology. Use a safer device if you think your phone, car, accounts, or browser are being monitored.
- Assuming benefits know about abuse. Tell the benefits worker if child support cooperation, mail, phone calls, or appointments could create danger.
- Posting case details online. Screenshots can be used in court and may reveal where you are.
- Ignoring bills after medical care. If you receive bills related to assault, ask the provider, advocate, or CVC program what may be covered.
Backup options if the first call does not work
If a shelter is full, ask the advocate to check nearby counties, hotel referrals, transportation help, and call-back options. If 211 has no immediate aid, ask for food pantries, Community Action, charities with emergency funds, and legal aid contacts. If benefits are delayed, ask what is missing and whether expedited SNAP or a supervisor review applies.
If you are trying to rebuild after leaving, ASMOM also has Montana guides for baby gear and household items. These pages do not replace safety help, but they may help after you are in a safer place.
Phone scripts
Calling a domestic violence advocate
“Hi, I am a single mother in Montana and I need help making a safe plan. I may need shelter, help with a protection order, and help keeping my address private. Can you tell me what is available in my county and what to do if no bed is open?”
Calling the court clerk
“Hi, I need information about filing for an Order of Protection. I also need to know how to keep my address confidential on court forms. Is there a victim advocate who helps with these forms before I file?”
Calling public assistance
“Hi, I need to apply for SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, and child care help after domestic violence. Some documents may not be safe for me to get. Can you tell me what you need first and whether expedited SNAP or good cause may apply?”
Calling a housing provider
“Hi, I live in housing connected to HUD assistance and I need to ask about VAWA protections and an emergency transfer because of domestic violence. Please tell me what form you need and how you protect my information.”
Resumen en español
Si usted o sus hijos están en peligro inmediato, llame al 911. Para ayuda confidencial por violencia doméstica, llame al 800-799-7233, mande texto START al 88788, o use el chat de la LÃnea Nacional. En Montana, también puede llamar al 211 para recursos locales y al 988 si está en crisis emocional o pensando en hacerse daño.
Un programa local de violencia doméstica puede ayudarle con refugio, seguridad, órdenes de protección, transporte, beneficios, cuidado infantil, y ayuda legal. Si necesita comida, dinero, Medicaid o ayuda con calefacción, puede solicitar beneficios en apply.mt.gov o llamar al 888-706-1535.
FAQ
What should I do first if I am in danger in Montana?
Call 911 if you or your children may be hurt right now. If you are not in immediate danger but need help planning, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline, a local Montana advocate, or Montana 211 from a safer phone or device.
Can a single mother get a protection order in Montana?
Yes, if the facts meet Montana’s rules. Montana allows protection order petitions in situations involving certain family members, intimate partners, former intimate partners, stalking, physical assault, or sexual assault. Talk with an advocate or legal aid before filing if you are unsure.
Is the Montana Emergency Lodging Fund available now?
As of this review, the Montana DOJ page says Emergency Lodging Fund money is depleted and the program will be available again in July 2026. Ask an advocate about current shelter, hotel, and backup options.
Can I keep my address private after leaving abuse?
Montana’s Address Confidentiality Program may help qualifying victims who have moved to a new Montana address unknown to the abuser. It gives a substitute address and mail forwarding, but it does not erase every old record.
Can I get SNAP or TANF after leaving domestic violence?
You can apply through Montana’s benefits portal or the Public Assistance Helpline. Eligibility depends on your household, income, documents, and program rules. Ask about expedited SNAP if you have very little income or resources.
What if child support cooperation is unsafe?
Tell the Office of Public Assistance that pursuing child support may put you or your child at risk and ask about good cause. An advocate or legal aid office may help you explain the safety concern.
About this guide
This guide uses official federal, state, local, and other high-trust nonprofit and community sources mentioned in the article.
A Single Mother is independent and is not a government agency, benefits office, lender, law firm, medical provider, or tax advisor.
Program rules, funding, local availability, and eligibility can change. Always confirm details with the official program before you apply or make decisions.
Verification: Last verified May 20, 2026, next review August 20, 2026.
Corrections: If you see something wrong or outdated, email suggestions@asinglemother.org.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only. It is not legal, financial, medical, tax, immigration, disability, safety, or government-agency advice.