Last updated: July 15, 2026
Bottom line
Arkansas does not have one statewide transportation grant for single mothers. The best starting point depends on why you need the ride. Arkansas Medicaid may cover transportation to eligible medical care. Local transit agencies provide buses, on-demand service, and paratransit in some areas. TEA, Work Pays, workforce programs, schools, and local organizations may help when transportation is tied to work, training, or a child’s education.
For medical rides, start with the official Arkansas Medicaid NET page and schedule early. For work or training, ask your DHS or workforce case manager before paying for gas, repairs, or a pass. For a wider state overview, use the Arkansas help page and the national transportation help guide as next steps.
If you need a ride today
Call 911 for a medical emergency. Medicaid Non-Emergency Transportation is not an ambulance service.
- Urgent medical care: Call your Medicaid transportation broker. If your doctor says the trip is medically urgent, the doctor must contact the broker so the ride can be considered without the normal advance notice.
- A scheduled ride did not come: Call the broker first, then call the NET Help Line at 1-888-987-1200, option 1. TDD/TTY is 1-800-285-1131.
- Gas, bus, or local ride help: Search the Arkansas 211 directory. Current phone coverage outside Benton, Madison, and Washington counties may be limited, so use the online search if a call does not connect.
- Other urgent needs: The Arkansas emergency guide covers food, shelter, utilities, and other crisis help.
Where to start
Medical appointment
Check Medicaid NET first. The appointment must be for a Medicaid-covered service, and you must have no other available ride.
Work or training
Ask TEA, Work Pays, or your Workforce Center whether transportation can be approved as a support for your work plan.
School or child care
Ask the school, Head Start program, college, or child care provider about local transportation and attendance support.
Bus or paratransit
Use the statewide transit directory, then ask the local agency about routes, fares, reduced fares, and ADA paratransit.
Quick reference
| If you need | Start here | What to ask | Reality check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ride to medical care | Medicaid NET broker | Coverage, pickup window, return ride | Most trips need 72 hours’ notice. |
| City or regional bus | Local transit agency | Routes, fares, passes, and service hours | Service differs by city and county. |
| Disability transportation | Local paratransit office | Application, eligibility, and ride area | A diagnosis alone does not decide eligibility. |
| Work or training travel | TEA or Workforce Center | Bus pass, mileage, gas, or approved repair | Support must usually be approved first. |
| Gas or one-time ride | 211 or local agency | What is open in your county this week | Local funds are limited and may run out. |
Arkansas Medicaid medical rides
The Arkansas Medicaid Non-Emergency Transportation program, called NET, can provide rides to and from Medicaid-covered medical services. The state says eligible riders do not pay for the ride and that traditional NET does not set a trip or mileage limit. The program is for people who have no other available transportation.
You must generally have Arkansas Medicaid or ARKids First-A. ARKids First-B, nursing facility residents, people living in an ICF/IID, and Qualified Medicare Beneficiaries are among the groups the state lists as not eligible for regular NET. Medicaid categories can be confusing, so call the NET Help Line if you are unsure.
How to schedule a ride
- Find the broker serving your county. The AFMC broker guide provides the regional information.
- Call at least 72 hours, or three full business days, before the appointment. Do not count weekends or holidays.
- Have your Medicaid ID, pickup address, phone number, appointment date, provider name, and provider address ready.
- Ask for the pickup time, return-ride process, and the number to call if the driver is late.
- Be ready when the driver arrives. The state says a broker may leave after waiting 15 minutes.
If you travel outside your broker region, your doctor may need to send a referral to the broker. If you have several appointments on the same day, tell the broker when scheduling so each leg can be arranged.
Region G changed in 2026
People in Pulaski, Faulkner, and Lonoke counties began using Modivcare on January 2, 2026. The scheduling number remains 888-833-4135. Other counties should continue using the broker listed for their region unless DHS announces a change.
If you need help keeping Medicaid active, use the Arkansas healthcare guide. A closed Medicaid case can also stop access to NET.
Buses, on-demand service, and local transit
Arkansas public transportation is local rather than one statewide bus system. Start with the ARDOT public transit directory or the transit agency list. Then confirm routes, service hours, booking rules, and fares with the agency that serves your area.
| Area | Transit system | Services to check |
|---|---|---|
| Little Rock area and Conway | Rock Region METRO | Fixed routes, METRO Connect, passes, and METRO Links paratransit |
| Northwest Arkansas | Ozark Regional Transit | Fixed routes, on-demand trips, and disability discounts |
| Fort Smith | Fort Smith Transit | Fixed routes, demand response, and paratransit |
| Jonesboro | GOJO Transit | Fixed routes, app-based trip planning, and paratransit |
Ask whether the agency offers a reduced fare, student pass, monthly pass, travel training, or on-demand zone. Do not rely on an old fare screenshot. Transit agencies can change prices, zones, and holiday schedules.
Disability transportation and ADA paratransit
Transit agencies that run fixed-route buses may also provide ADA complementary paratransit. This service is for people whose disability prevents them from using the regular fixed-route system for some or all trips.
The Federal Transit Administration explains that paratransit eligibility is based on a person’s functional ability to use the bus, not only on a diagnosis. Apply through the local transit agency and describe what happens when you try to reach, board, ride, or understand the fixed-route service. The official paratransit eligibility guide explains this standard.
If the agency denies eligibility, ask for the written reason and appeal instructions. Federal rules require an appeal process. If you or your child has complex behavioral health, developmental, or intellectual disability needs, ask the PASSE care coordinator which transportation service applies before scheduling. The national disability help guide lists other support paths.
Transportation for work and training
TEA and Work Pays
Arkansas Transitional Employment Assistance, or TEA, provides temporary cash and employment-related support to some families with children. DHS says support can include transportation and child care when needed for approved work, education, or training activities. Apply and manage benefits through Access Arkansas.
Work Pays support may help some former TEA recipients who are working and need help staying employed. Ask what transportation support is available under your case before buying gas, a pass, tires, or repairs. The Arkansas TANF guide explains the cash-assistance side.
Workforce and WIOA support
Arkansas Workforce Centers provide free employment services. Some people who qualify for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act services may receive transportation or child care support connected to an approved training or employment plan. The official job seeker page lists current services and the statewide number 1-844-908-2178.
Arkansas has ten local workforce areas. Use the workforce center map to find the right office. Ask whether the cost must be approved in writing, whether reimbursement is allowed, and what receipts are required. The Arkansas education guide can help with school costs outside transportation.
School, Head Start, and child care transportation
Transportation for school or child care is not one automatic statewide benefit. Ask the program directly before enrolling or changing providers.
- Head Start: Some programs provide transportation or coordinate local options, while others do not. Use the official Head Start locator and ask each program about routes, stops, car seats, attendance rules, and pickup people. The Head Start guide explains the wider program.
- Unstable housing: A child who qualifies under McKinney-Vento may have transportation rights connected to the school of origin. Ask the school for the district homeless liaison. The federal school transportation brief explains these protections.
- Child care: Ask the provider whether it offers transportation and whether the route, driver, insurance, and child-restraint rules are approved. The Arkansas child care guide covers subsidy help.
Transportation help for veterans and caregivers
Eligible veterans and some caregivers may receive mileage or other travel reimbursement for approved VA health care. The current VA travel reimbursement page explains eligibility and claims. Keep appointment information and receipts for costs that require proof.
VA travel pay is separate from Arkansas Medicaid NET. Use the program that applies to the appointment and your coverage. The veteran benefits guide lists other help for veterans and surviving spouses.
Gas cards, car repairs, tires, and one-time rides
Arkansas does not offer a guaranteed statewide gas-card or car-repair grant for single mothers. Local help may come from a Community Action agency, church, shelter, workforce program, school emergency fund, clinic social worker, or nonprofit. Funding can be limited to a specific county, purpose, or week.
Arkansas 211’s searchable directory remains a useful place to look. Its operator currently says live call-center coverage outside Benton, Madison, and Washington counties is temporarily unavailable, so people in other counties may need to use the web directory and contact listed agencies directly.
Ask for one clear item: a bus pass for a new job, gas for a medical trip, a tire needed to keep working, or a ride to a required training day. The Arkansas community guide lists more local support.
Avoid fake transportation grants
Do not pay an application fee for a promised free car, guaranteed repair grant, or instant gas money. Real programs usually verify the need, pay a vendor, issue a limited voucher, or connect help to a case plan.
What to have ready
Use the documents checklist when several programs are involved. For transportation calls, keep these details together:
| Program | Information to gather | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Medicaid NET | Medicaid ID, pickup address, appointment, provider | The broker checks coverage and schedules the trip. |
| TEA or Work Pays | Case number, activity plan, schedule, travel cost | Support must connect to an approved activity. |
| WIOA training | Training plan, class dates, work goal, receipts | The case manager decides what can be approved. |
| Paratransit | Travel barriers, disability information, destinations | Eligibility is based on using the fixed route. |
| Local charity | ZIP code, trip purpose, deadline, proof of need | Local funds often have narrow rules. |
If transportation is denied, delayed, or does not arrive
Ask for the reason and next step in writing whenever possible. Keep confirmation numbers, call times, names, notices, screenshots, and receipts.
- NET ride does not arrive: Call the broker while you are still waiting. Then call the NET Help Line and notify the medical provider.
- NET ride is denied: Ask whether the problem is Medicaid eligibility, your coverage category, the provider, the service, advance notice, or an out-of-region referral.
- Written Medicaid service denial: The official DHS appeal page generally gives 30 calendar days for a Medicaid eligibility or service appeal. Follow the exact deadline on your notice.
- Paratransit denial: Ask for the written eligibility decision and appeal instructions. Explain which parts of the regular bus system you cannot use.
- TEA transportation problem: Contact a county office through the DHS office map. A TEA denial or closure generally has a 30-day hearing deadline.
- WIOA support denied: Ask the case manager which local supportive-service policy applies and whether another approved option is available.
The benefits problem guide can help you organize a complaint or appeal.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Calling too late. Most regular Medicaid rides require 72 hours’ notice.
- Buying before approval. TEA and WIOA may not repay a cost that was not approved.
- Asking only for transportation. Say whether you need a medical ride, bus pass, gas, repair, or paratransit.
- Missing benefit notices. A Medicaid or TEA closure can also end transportation support.
- Assuming a diagnosis guarantees paratransit. The agency reviews your ability to use fixed-route transit.
- Using old route information. Confirm current stops, fares, zones, and holiday service.
Backup options
When one program cannot help, make the request smaller and more specific. A local group may not repair a car but may provide one bus pass. A workforce program may not pay weekly gas but may cover an approved training trip.
- Ask a clinic or hospital for a social worker or care coordinator.
- Ask an employer about a temporary schedule that matches bus service.
- Ask a school counselor or homeless liaison about child transportation.
- Ask a child care provider about approved pickup people or routes.
- Use the Arkansas housing guide or Arkansas utility guide if another bill is using the money needed for transportation.
Phone scripts
Calling Medicaid NET
Hello, I have Arkansas Medicaid and need a ride to a covered appointment on [date]. My Medicaid ID and provider information are ready. Which broker serves my county, and what are the pickup and return instructions?
Reporting a missing ride
Hello, my ride was scheduled for [time], confirmation number [number], and it has not arrived. I am still at the pickup address. What is the driver status, and what should I do if I miss the appointment?
Asking about work support
Hello, transportation is blocking my approved [work, training, or school] activity. Can my program help with a bus pass, gas, mileage, or another option? What must be approved before I spend money?
Calling a local agency
Hello, I live in ZIP code [number]. I need [gas, a bus pass, a tire, or a ride] by [date] for [work, school, child care, or medical care]. Is any program accepting requests this week?
Resumen en español
Arkansas no tiene una sola subvención estatal de transporte para madres solteras. Medicaid NET puede ayudar con viajes a servicios médicos cubiertos cuando no tiene otra forma de llegar. Para un viaje regular, llame por lo menos 72 horas antes. La línea de ayuda de NET es 1-888-987-1200, opción 1.
Para trabajo o entrenamiento, pregunte a TEA, Work Pays o un Workforce Center antes de pagar gasolina, reparaciones o pases. Para autobuses y paratránsito, contacte la agencia local. Si una ayuda es negada, guarde la carta y pregunte por la fecha límite para apelar.
FAQ
Can Medicaid pay for a ride?
Arkansas Medicaid NET may provide a no-cost ride to covered medical care when you have an eligible Medicaid category and no other available transportation.
How early should I schedule NET?
Call at least 72 hours, or three full business days, before a regular appointment. Weekends and holidays do not count toward the notice period.
Who do I call if the ride is late?
Call the transportation broker first. If the problem is not fixed, call the NET Help Line at 1-888-987-1200, option 1, and notify the medical provider.
Can TEA help with transportation?
TEA and Work Pays may provide transportation support tied to an approved work, education, or training activity. Ask the case manager before paying for the cost.
How do I find a bus system?
Use the ARDOT public transit directory or Arkansas Transit Association agency list. Then confirm current routes, fares, service hours, and paratransit rules locally.
Does Arkansas offer car repair grants?
There is no guaranteed statewide car-repair grant for single mothers. Local agencies, workforce programs, schools, and charities may offer limited help when funding is available.
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 July 15, 2026, next review October 15, 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.