Grants for Single Mothers in Maine (2026 Guide)

Where to start when several bills are due

Maine assistance is split among state offices, municipalities, housing agencies, schools, and nonprofits. Choose the most urgent problem first. Then keep the longer applications moving in the background.

ASMOM’s Maine resource hub organizes state pages by topic.

Quick Maine table: which door should you use?

Cash and emergency help

TANF monthly cash

Maine TANF provides monthly cash assistance to some very low-income families with children. The program can also connect eligible parents to ASPIRE work supports such as child care, gas, car repairs, insurance, books, fees, and supplies. Work and reporting rules may apply.

Alternative Aid Assistance is short-term help for TANF-eligible parents who need employment-related support instead of ongoing TANF. Maine says the voucher can equal up to three months of TANF benefits. Emergency Assistance may help eligible families with children under 21, or a pregnant person in the third trimester, with certain emergencies such as eviction, utility shutoff, disaster loss, an essential home-system repair, or disability equipment not covered elsewhere. Payments go to vendors and category limits apply.

See ASMOM’s Maine TANF guide for work rules, documents, and appeal steps.

Municipal General Assistance

General Assistance helps people who cannot meet basic needs with available income and resources. It may cover food, rent, room rent, temporary housing, fuel, utilities, medical supplies, prescriptions, and other approved necessities.

Apply in person at the municipality where you live. If approved, help is usually issued as a voucher or direct vendor payment. Ask for a written decision. If the municipal office is closed or refuses to take an application, call the state hotline at 1-800-442-6003.

Paid Family and Medical Leave

Maine’s paid leave program began paying benefits for approved leave starting May 1, 2026. Eligible workers may receive up to 12 weeks for their own serious health condition, bonding with a child, caring for a family member, military family needs, or safe leave after abuse or violence. It is wage replacement based on covered Maine earnings, not a grant for everyone. Call 207-621-5024 for claim questions.

Food help, WIC, and summer meals

Maine SNAP, also called the Food Supplement Program, helps eligible households buy groceries. Apply even if you are unsure. Maine must make a decision on every application. Ask about faster service when your household has very little income, cash, or food.

Maine WIC provides healthy foods, nutrition support, lactation help, and referrals for eligible pregnant, lactating, and postpartum people, infants, and children through age 4. Call 1-800-437-9300 or a local WIC office to request an appointment.

Maine’s SUN Bucks program provides a summer grocery benefit for eligible school-age children. Some children receive it automatically, while others need an application. SUN Meals sites provide free summer meals to children age 18 and younger at approved locations.

Use ASMOM’s Maine food guide and Maine WIC guide for detailed steps.

Rent, shelter, and long-term housing

For rent due now, start with municipal General Assistance, 211, and legal aid. If you have a notice to quit, court papers, or a lockout threat, do not wait for the hearing day to ask for help.

For long-term assistance, apply through the Housing Choice Voucher program and the participating housing-authority waiting list. Keep your address, phone, email, household members, and income current. A voucher application may take a long time and will not normally stop a current eviction.

If you need shelter, use the Maine shelter list and call 211. Availability can change by location, family size, age, accessibility needs, and safety concerns.

ASMOM’s Maine housing guide explains rent, vouchers, shelters, and application problems.

MaineCare and health insurance

MaineCare is Maine’s Medicaid program. It may cover doctor visits, emergency care, prescriptions, behavioral health treatment, substance-use care, dental services, labs, and other covered care. Apply through My Maine Connection, by mail, email, fax, or at a district office.

These are current gross monthly screening limits from MaineCare eligibility. Add one person to household size for each expected baby in the pregnancy category. Other coverage groups and special rules may apply, so apply even if your income is higher.

If MaineCare does not fit, CoverME.gov offers private plans and financial help. Outside annual enrollment, a move, loss of coverage, birth, adoption, marriage, or another qualifying event may open a limited enrollment period.

ASMOM’s Maine health guide covers applications, denials, and low-cost care.

Child care, pregnancy, and young children

The Child Care Affordability Program helps eligible parents pay for approved care while working, attending school, or taking job training. Retired legal guardians may also qualify. Families with income up to 125% of Maine’s median income may be eligible.

Parents usually pay a sliding copay from 1% to 10% of gross weekly income. Maine waives the copay for families below 30% of state median income. Call 1-877-680-5866 or 207-624-7999 for help. Apply for the subsidy and look for care at the same time, especially if you need infant care, rural care, or nonstandard hours.

Pregnant parents and families with young children can also combine MaineCare, WIC, Head Start, home visiting, school programs, and local baby-item resources. ASMOM’s Maine child care guide provides more detail.

Heat, electric bills, and home energy

The Home Energy Assistance Program, called HEAP in Maine, helps qualified renters and homeowners with heating costs. It can also connect eligible households to emergency fuel delivery, electric-bill help, heating-system repair, and weatherization.

The posted HEAP program page lists these maximum gross-income amounts for the 2026–2027 season:

The Low Income Assistance Plan may provide an electric-bill credit and is normally screened through the HEAP application. If you are above the HEAP table, ask whether allowable medical expenses affect the calculation. See ASMOM’s Maine utility guide for shutoff steps and local agencies.

Work, education, and training support

The HOPE program helps eligible Maine parents and caretaker relatives complete training or education after high school. Support may include tuition, prior school balances, books, tools, child care, transportation, car repairs, registration, insurance, inspection, and technology. The program is for approved education plans, not general cash assistance.

Maine CareerCenters offer job-search and training services at no charge. Some programs may provide support for child care, transportation, tuition, or other work barriers, depending on eligibility and funding.

ASMOM’s Maine education guide covers HOPE, federal student aid, scholarships, and support for school-related costs.

Child support, legal help, and family safety

Maine Child Support Services can help establish parentage, create or enforce support orders, locate a parent, and collect payments. It does not decide custody or visitation. Call 207-624-4100 for case-start questions.

If contacting the other parent or sharing an address could create danger, tell the benefit or child support worker before providing information. Ask for a confidential conversation and safety options. ASMOM’s Maine child support guide and Maine safety guide provide careful next steps.

The Maine legal-aid list covers housing, family, benefits, disability, immigration, and other civil issues. Contact each organization to check case type, income rules, conflicts, and staff availability.

Documents and information to gather

Do not delay every application because one document is missing. Submit what you can, keep proof of the filing date, and ask what other evidence is accepted. ASMOM’s documents checklist has a longer list.