Last updated: November 10, 2026
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic violence advocate | Call the National DV Hotline at 800-799-7233, text START to 88788, or chat online. | “I need Montana shelter, legal, and safety referrals.” |
| Montana local program | Use the MCADSV directory by region. | “I need the closest confidential victim service program.” |
| Native survivor support | Call, text, or chat through StrongHearts at 844-762-8483, 24/7. | “I need Native-centered domestic or sexual violence support.” |
| Emotional crisis | Call or text Montana 988. | “I am in crisis and need support now.” |
| Food, shelter, local aid | Dial 2-1-1 or search Montana 211. | “I need domestic violence shelter, food, rent, utilities, and transportation help.” |
| Child abuse concern | Call the Montana Child Abuse Hotline at 866-820-5437. | “I need to report possible child abuse or neglect.” |
Bottom line
If you are a single mother in Montana facing domestic violence, choose the safest way to ask for help. A trained advocate can help you plan for shelter, court, children, housing, money, technology, and a safe way to be contacted. You do not need a police report to ask an advocate for support.
Montana does not have one single “domestic violence office” that solves every problem. You may need several paths at the same time: a local victim service program, a protection order, the Address Confidentiality Program, public benefits, legal aid, medical care, child care, and school or housing safety steps.
This guide gives general information only. It is not legal advice, safety advice, medical advice, or a guarantee that a shelter, benefit, or court order will be available. Rules, funding, waitlists, and local procedures can change.
What has changed in this guide
Checked October 21, 2026: Montana says Emergency Housing Voucher referrals are not being issued. The Emergency Lodging Fund page still has a conflicting funding notice, so ask a local advocate about current money before you count on a hotel stay. The Montana DOJ also says its Hope Card online application is temporarily unavailable; mail-in forms remain listed. These limits do not stop you from seeking shelter or court help by other routes.
Where to start in Montana
You do not have to solve everything today. Pick the safest next step. If one office cannot help, ask for another referral. If you are worried about being tracked, use a safer phone or computer first.
If you need safety tonight
Call 911 for immediate danger. If you need confidential planning, call a local advocate or the National DV 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 protection orders, custody, benefits, housing, and safety-related legal resources.
For a broader state benefits overview, use ASMOM’s Montana help guide after immediate safety needs. For general safety planning, see ASMOM’s domestic violence hub.
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 a 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. |
Before using a shared phone or computer
Some people who abuse monitor phones, car location, shared email, children’s devices, bank apps, browser history, cloud accounts, and social media. If you think you are being watched, use a safer device when you can, such as a trusted person’s phone, a library computer, a school office, a clinic phone, or a phone at an advocacy program.
If someone may be tracking your device or accounts, do not rely on clearing browser history to keep your search private. A quick-exit button may close a page, but it does not erase monitoring. If it is safe, use a device or account the other person cannot access. Ask an advocate before deleting texts, changing passwords, or turning off location sharing if doing so might alert that person. Never put a new shelter address into a shared account.
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, child-related safety concerns, and safer communication.
The MCADSV regional directory covers five Montana regions. The coalition itself does not run a direct shelter hotline. Call a listed program to ask whether it serves your county, offers remote help, takes children, and has a safe way to call you back. If you cannot reach a program, call the coalition at 888-404-7794 for referral help.
The MCADSV directory organizes victim service programs by Montana region. MCADSV is the statewide coalition and does not replace a local program, but the directory can help you find direct services near you. The Montana DOJ also keeps a searchable list of victim advocates if you need help finding a community-based 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 court resources connect protection orders with partner or family member assault, sexual assault, and stalking. A victim advocate in your community may be able to help with seeking an order, safety planning, and related issues.
Montana DOJ recommends talking with a victim advocate first, if safe. You can file a petition in city, justice, or district court. If you already have a divorce or parenting-plan case in district court, file your protection-order petition there. Ask the court clerk how to keep your home address off public papers. Read the Montana DOJ filing guide before filing.
There is no filing cost for a protection order. 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.
If you cannot attend a hearing, call the court before the hearing and ask how to request a new date. You may need to file a motion. An order does not replace safety planning: ask how the other person will be served and what to do if an order is broken. Call 911 for an immediate threat.
| 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 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. |
A Montana Hope Card is a free wallet-size summary of an active permanent protection order; it is not available for temporary orders and is not a replacement for the court order. As checked October 21, 2026, DOJ says the online Hope Card application is temporarily unavailable; use the listed mail-in form or ask the Office of Victim Services at 406-444-3653 how to apply.
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 Emergency Lodging Fund may cover up to five nights at a participating property for domestic violence or human trafficking survivors. You cannot self-refer: a designated advocacy, charitable, or law enforcement group must arrange the referral. Rooms and funds may run out. As of this review, DOJ’s webpage still shows a notice that funds were depleted with an expected July 2026 return; that notice is out of date and does not confirm funding now. Ask a local advocate whether referrals are actually being accepted today, and request another safe option if not.
If you live in public housing, receive a Housing Choice Voucher, or use another covered housing program, HUD’s VAWA housing rights may protect you against denial, eviction, or lost assistance because of abuse. You can ask about confidentiality, separating an abuser from a lease, and an emergency transfer when you meet the rules. A transfer is not guaranteed right away: a safe unit may not be open. Ask for the housing provider’s VAWA notice and emergency-transfer plan, and talk with legal aid if you get a denial or eviction notice.
The Montana Department of Commerce voucher page explains that Housing Choice Voucher participants generally pay about 30% of adjusted gross monthly income toward rent, with a subsidy paid to the landlord. Voucher help is not immediate shelter, and wait time depends on local factors, funding, and the waiting list.
Montana’s Emergency Housing Voucher page says new referrals are not being issued. This is not an option to rely on for a new voucher today. Ask a local Coordinated Entry team, advocate, or 211 about other housing help that is currently open.
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. DOJ says the program is designed 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 petition for an order of protection. The program has online and mail-in materials, but the safest path is often to ask a victim advocate to help you complete it.
Montana offers an online application and a paper checklist. The DOJ program page lists the required proof, mail, email, and fax routes. You can call 406-444-3653 for help. Ask how your court and school records will be handled before sharing a new address.
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.
Montana’s 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.
| Program | What it may help with | Where to read next |
|---|---|---|
| SNAP | Food benefits. Montana says expedited SNAP is meant to make food benefits available within seven calendar days for eligible households that meet specific income and resource tests. | Montana SNAP and SNAP help |
| TANF | Cash assistance for certain families with children and eligible late-pregnancy cases. TANF has work rules, a general 60-month lifetime limit, child support rules, and possible safety-based exceptions. | Montana TANF and TANF help |
| Best Beginnings | Child care scholarship. Current DPHHS guidance says income below 185% of the federal poverty level; single parents generally must work at least 60 hours monthly or meet a school/training rule. Ask about child support good cause if cooperation is unsafe. | Best Beginnings and child care help |
| WIC | Food, feeding support, and referrals for eligible pregnant or postpartum parents and children younger than five. Montana has income rules effective July 2026–June 2027. Contact a WIC clinic to apply. | Montana WIC |
| Medicaid and HMK Plus | Health coverage for eligible adults, children, pregnant people, seniors, and people with disabilities. | Medicaid updates |
For child care, DPHHS now directs parents to the Best Beginnings parent portal through a Montana Okta account. Contact the child care agency that serves your county if the portal is hard to use. Current application materials include a Good Cause Exemption for Child Support form. Tell your worker before sending documents that could expose where you live.
If TANF or another program asks you to cooperate with child support and that could be unsafe, ask about good cause. Montana TANF policy says a custodial parent may request good cause as an exception to child support enforcement requirements during the application process or after cash assistance is approved. For related questions, see ASMOM’s Montana child support guide.
If an office turns down benefits or child care help, ask for the written reason and appeal steps. Keep the notice and note its deadline; deadlines differ by program. If you were denied SNAP, ask about an eligibility review or fair hearing. An advocate or legal aid worker may help with an unsafe child-support request or missing documents.
Medical costs and crime victim compensation
If you were hurt in a crime, Montana’s Crime Victim Compensation program may cover certain medical bills, counseling, lost wages, or other eligible crime-related costs, up to $25,000. Payment is not automatic or immediate. DOJ generally requires the crime to be reported to law enforcement within 72 hours and a claim within one year, but it can consider good cause for a delay. Ask the program or an advocate before assuming you are too late. An offender does not need to have been arrested or prosecuted for a claim to be considered.
For a sexual assault forensic exam, Montana’s FREPP rules say eligible exam costs may be paid up to $600 to the provider, and a provider cannot bill you for the balance of services covered by FREPP. Treatment for other physical injuries may be billed separately. If you get a bill, ask the hospital billing office and an advocate which items should be covered. You can seek medical care even if you are not ready to report to police.
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 it handles pickup lists, emergency contacts, address privacy, and court orders.
Tell a school or child care provider about a court order only in a way that keeps you safe. Ask who can see your address, who can pick up your child, and how staff respond if the other parent arrives. If you have an active custody order, speak to a lawyer or advocate before changing travel or pickup plans; safety needs and court rules can conflict.
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.
Documents and information to gather
Do not delay leaving a dangerous situation because you do not have every paper. Use this list only when it is safe to gather or copy items. ASMOM’s documents checklist can help you organize what you already have.
| Item | Why it may help | Safety note |
|---|---|---|
| Photo ID, birth certificates, Social Security cards if available | Benefits, school, court, shelter, and health care applications. | Copies or photos may help if originals are not safe to get. |
| Protective orders, custody orders, divorce papers | Courts, schools, police, housing offices, and child support may ask. | Keep copies somewhere the unsafe person cannot access. |
| Lease, eviction papers, utility bills | Housing rights, emergency transfer requests, rent help, and LIHEAP. | Ask about VAWA before giving a landlord details beyond what is needed. |
| Pay stubs, benefit letters, bank information | SNAP, TANF, child care, health coverage, and local aid. | Use a safe mailing address if your location must stay private. |
| Texts, photos, medical records, police reports, witness names | Protection orders, victim compensation, and legal advice. | Ask an advocate about safer ways to store evidence if your phone is monitored. |
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 Crime Victim Compensation 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 basic household needs. 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. Si puede hacerlo sin riesgo, use un teléfono seguro. Para ayuda por violencia doméstica, llame al 800-799-7233, mande START al 88788 o use el chat de la Línea Nacional. Puede llamar al 211 para buscar ayuda local o al 988 si tiene una crisis emocional.
Un programa local puede ayudarle a buscar refugio, órdenes de protección, transporte, ayuda legal y recursos para sus hijos. Para solicitar comida, dinero en efectivo o Medicaid, visite apply.mt.gov o llame al 888-706-1535. No hay garantía de una cama o fondos disponibles. Pregunte por opciones si la primera oficina no puede ayudarle.
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 protection order resources address partner or family member assault, sexual assault, and stalking. Talk with an advocate or legal aid before filing if you are unsure.
Can Montana emergency lodging help tonight?
Maybe, but only through an approved referring agency. The Emergency Lodging Fund allows up to five nights at participating properties. DOJ’s online funding notice is out of date, so ask an advocate whether funds and rooms are open today and what other shelter is available.
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.
Are new Montana Emergency Housing Vouchers available?
No new referrals are being issued, according to Montana’s current EHV webpage. Ask an advocate, 211, or Coordinated Entry which other housing routes are open.
What if child support contact could put me in danger?
Tell the TANF or child care worker before sharing a location or contacting the other parent. Ask how to request good cause or a child support exemption and what proof is safe to provide. Get a written decision if your request is denied.
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 November 10, 2026; next review February 8, 2027.
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.
Last updated: November 10, 2026 Next review: February 8, 2027