Community Support for Single Mothers in Pennsylvania

Where to start

Start with the problem that has the closest deadline. You can work on the other needs after the first call.

Quick reference

Statewide tools for finding local help

Pennsylvania is county-based. A program in Philadelphia may not serve Erie, Pittsburgh, Scranton, Reading, or a rural county. Use your ZIP code and county when searching.

The COMPASS help page confirms the helpline at 1-800-692-7462 on weekdays. If you use the myCOMPASS PA app, save proof when you upload a document. If your case has a deadline, call the office to confirm it arrived.

When internet or phone access is a barrier, ask an office whether you can submit a paper form, use a drop box, or receive language or disability assistance.

Help using online forms

If you cannot get online, ask a public library, local agency, or school whether staff can help you use a computer or print forms. The Pennsylvania technology help guide lists places to ask about digital skills and internet access. Do not let anyone hold your benefit password.

Community Action agencies

Pennsylvania’s Community Action network serves all 67 counties. Local agencies may offer housing support, utility assistance, weatherization, food, transportation, job services, financial coaching, family programs, or referrals. Services differ because each agency responds to local needs and funding.

Use the Community Action locator to find the agency serving your county. Call before traveling and ask which programs are currently accepting applications.

Community Action is useful when one problem affects several parts of your budget. A caseworker may be able to connect a utility crisis with weatherization, employment support, food, housing, or another local program. ASMOM’s Community Action guide explains how to prepare for that call.

Ask about who may qualify, proof of income, service area, and whether funding is open. The network is not one statewide grant: one agency may have a food pantry, while another can offer home weatherization or a housing referral. You can also ask about job training, help using an online benefits form, or transport to appointments.

Food, diapers, and basic supplies

Food banks and pantries

Pennsylvania food banks serve all counties through nearly 3,000 local charitable partners, such as pantries, soup kitchens, feeding programs, and shelters. Start with the state food pantry directory to identify your regional food bank and then ask which nearby food sites are open today.

Call before visiting. Ask about pantry hours, household forms, delivery, hot meals, baby formula, and food for children when school is closed. For longer-term grocery help, use ASMOM’s Pennsylvania SNAP guide.

WIC and children’s food

WIC may help people who are pregnant or recently had a baby, infants, and children under age five. It offers approved foods, nutrition services, breastfeeding help, and referrals. An adult who cares for an eligible child can apply on that child’s behalf. Use the state WIC application information or call 1-800-WIC-WINS to find an office. A pre-application starts the process; the WIC office still checks eligibility.

Diapers and household basics

There is no one statewide diaper office. PA 211 can search diaper banks, baby closets, pregnancy programs, and partner distributions. In western Pennsylvania, the Western PA Diaper Bank supplies diapers and hygiene products through community partners and some public distributions.

Ask whether the program serves your county, has your child’s size, or requires a referral. ASMOM’s Pennsylvania baby guide lists more places to check.

Need a pantry that delivers? Ask whether a food bank has mobile service, a partner near a bus line, or home delivery for people who cannot travel. You can ask about other food help at the same time. WIC and SNAP do not normally pay for diapers, so ask a diaper bank separately.

If you need a crib, car seat, baby clothes, or other supplies, ask a family center about referrals. The Pennsylvania furniture guide has household-item ideas too. Availability and safe-use rules differ by provider.

Housing, shelter, and utility support

Homeless Assistance Program

Pennsylvania’s Homeless Assistance Program (HAP) is managed through counties. It may include case management, rental assistance, emergency shelter, bridge housing, and help moving toward stable housing. Contact the provider in the HAP county list.

Under the state’s current HAP application guidance, the rental-assistance maximum is $1,500 for families or households with children during a consecutive 24-month period. It is a ceiling, not a standard payment or promise of eligibility. Local HAP staff review need, income, other resources, the service requested, and available money. Ask about special rules when homelessness is linked to a disaster or domestic violence.

Pennsylvania’s COVID-era Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) closed effective October 1, 2025. Do not pay anyone who promises to reopen that program for you. Try county HAP, Community Action, PA 211, and legal aid instead.

ASMOM’s Pennsylvania housing guide covers public housing, vouchers, shelters, and rent help.

Utility assistance

As of October 20, 2026: The 2025–26 LIHEAP season is closed. The state LIHEAP page says the 2026–27 heating season is scheduled to open November 2, 2026. LIHEAP may help with heating bills, and some homes in a heat emergency may qualify for crisis help during an open season. Check the state page before applying; dates and funds can change.

Do not wait for LIHEAP if you have a shutoff notice. Call the utility now. Ask about a Customer Assistance Program (CAP), payment agreement, hardship fund, budget billing, or energy-saving help. CAP may lower a bill and may address some past-due debt, depending on the company and your case. The Public Utility Commission’s utility help page describes these options. If you cannot resolve a regulated-utility problem, ask about the PUC complaint process.

ASMOM’s Pennsylvania utility guide gives more steps for shutoff and bill problems.

Eviction warning: Contact the landlord or manager, a HAP provider, and a legal aid office when you get a court notice. Ask legal aid about the date and how to respond. Applying for rent help does not stop a hearing or eviction by itself.

Child care, school, and family support

Child Care Works

Child Care Works helps eligible Pennsylvania families with child care while a parent works or takes part in qualifying school or job training. The local Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) handles applications, referrals, and subsidies. Apply through your ELRC or COMPASS, even if you are not sure you qualify.

Basic rules include living in Pennsylvania, meeting household income limits, having an eligible child, and meeting work or training rules. Some families may join a waitlist when funds are short. The state’s Child Care Works rules explain these limits. A family may pay a copay. A provider may also charge the difference between its rate and the subsidy. Call 1-877-4-PA-KIDS (1-877-472-5437) for a local referral.

Ask the ELRC whether there is a waitlist and which providers have openings. ASMOM’s Pennsylvania child care guide explains the documents and provider steps.

School and youth support

Ask the school counselor, nurse, family liaison, or district homeless liaison about supplies, clothes, school meals, rides, and afterschool programs. If your family is living in a shelter, motel, car, or with others after losing housing, the district’s homeless education program may help your child stay enrolled and receive needed support. Ask the school for its McKinney-Vento liaison.

Pregnancy and parenting resources

The Pennsylvania Department of Health has a county-based family health finder for pregnant people, infants, children, and children with special health needs. Ask health providers and WIC staff about home visiting, safe-sleep help, breastfeeding support, and local family programs.

Training and education costs

Community Action and schools may know of job training, uniforms, transit passes, or work-readiness help. If you are returning to school, check the Pennsylvania education grants guide for aid applications and school contacts. A college financial aid office can also review emergency needs and child care options; such funds depend on the school.

Safety, legal help, and victim services

This section is general information. It is not a personal safety plan or legal advice.

Domestic violence support

Local programs in the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence network provide free and confidential crisis counseling and safety planning in every county. Some also offer shelter, children’s services, economic advocacy, or legal help. Use a safer device when another person monitors calls, email, or location. Ask the local advocate which ways of contacting the program are safe for you. The 24-hour National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233, but local providers can explain Pennsylvania services.

ASMOM’s Pennsylvania safety guide provides more focused options.

Civil legal aid

The Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network connects eligible low-income residents with regional and specialized civil legal programs. Issues may include housing, public benefits, family law, debt, employment, health coverage, and consumer problems. Use the legal aid finder and tell intake staff the exact deadline.

ASMOM’s Pennsylvania legal guide covers court, custody, housing, and benefit-help paths.

Crime victim services

Pennsylvania victim service programs provide free support, referrals, counseling, rights information, and help after crime. Search by address or ZIP code through the victim service locator.

Documents and information to gather

Call first when you are in danger, hungry, or without shelter. For most financial and legal programs, save the records below. ASMOM’s documents checklist gives a fuller list.

You can start by calling even if you do not have every paper. Ask which proof is truly required and how to send it safely. For benefit cases, keep copies, upload receipts, confirmation numbers, and dates of calls. Do not send full Social Security numbers, passwords, or private medical details to an unverified charity or a person contacting you on social media.