Grants for Single Mothers in Montana

Where to start

Start with the need that can hurt your family fastest. Do not wait for a small local grant while food, housing, safety, health care, or child care is at risk.

Quick reference

What “grant” means in Montana

Many people use “grant” to mean any help they do not repay. The official name may instead be benefit, scholarship, subsidy, voucher, tax credit, service, or emergency fund.

SNAP is a food benefit. TANF is temporary cash assistance. Best Beginnings is a child care scholarship. A Housing Choice Voucher lowers eligible rent. WIC provides food and nutrition support. A Pell Grant helps pay for school. These programs are more dependable than online lists promising free money.

True one-time grants do exist, but they often have small budgets, short application periods, local service areas, or competitive selection. Do not pay a fee for a government benefit, FAFSA application, or promised personal grant.

SNAP food benefits and TANF cash assistance

SNAP food assistance

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps eligible households buy groceries. Apply online, by phone, by fax, by mail, or through an Office of Public Assistance. Montana allows a household to file with basic identifying information first and finish the interview and verification process afterward.

Use the official Montana SNAP page for program information. Call the Public Assistance Helpline at 1-888-706-1535 for eligibility and case questions. The EBT card help desk at 1-866-850-1556 handles PIN, balance, transaction, and card-system problems.

If the household has very little income or resources, ask whether expedited SNAP applies. Approval is not automatic, and the household must complete required steps. The ASMOM Montana SNAP guide explains interviews, notices, and food-bank backup options.

TANF cash assistance

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) provides temporary cash help to eligible families with children. Montana checks financial and nonfinancial rules, including household members, income, resources, residency, child age, and required activities.

The official Montana TANF page states that an adult’s TANF cash assistance is generally limited to 60 months during the adult’s lifetime. The Pathways employment program may be part of the case.

TANF applicants are often referred to child support services. If cooperation could create a safety risk, tell the eligibility worker and ask about the state’s good-cause process. The ASMOM Montana TANF guide covers this program in more detail.

Health coverage and WIC

Medicaid and Healthy Montana Kids

Montana Medicaid and Healthy Montana Kids can provide health coverage for eligible adults, pregnant people, children, and some people with disabilities. Healthy Montana Kids covers eligible children through age 18, meaning up to the 19th birthday.

The Healthy Montana Kids page explains that coverage can include medical, dental, vision, and related care. Montana also provides 12 months of continuous postpartum coverage for eligible members enrolled during pregnancy.

Apply through the state benefits portal or contact the Public Assistance Helpline. For member and provider questions after enrollment, call the Montana Healthcare Programs Member Help Line at 1-800-362-8312.

The ASMOM Montana health guide covers clinics, coverage, dental care, and application steps.

WIC nutrition support

WIC provides healthy foods, breastfeeding support, nutrition education, and referrals for pregnant people, postpartum parents, infants, and children under 5. Dads, grandparents, foster parents, stepparents, and guardians may apply for eligible children.

Receiving Medicaid, SNAP, or TANF normally makes the household income-eligible for WIC, but a clinic must still complete the WIC application and nutrition assessment. Montana says proof of pregnancy is not required.

Use the Montana WIC page to find a clinic. The state WIC hotline is 1-800-433-4298. The ASMOM Montana WIC guide gives appointment and food-benefit details.

Child care, work, and unemployment

Best Beginnings Scholarship

The Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship helps eligible families pay for approved child care. A family may qualify based on income, household, activity, and child care need. Eligible families usually pay a sliding-scale copay.

Apply through the Best Beginnings page. The online application goes to the child care agency serving the family’s county. A full application and requested proof can support a 12-month eligibility period.

Approval does not create a child care opening. Ask possible providers whether they accept Best Beginnings and can cover your child’s age, hours, transportation needs, and school schedule. The ASMOM Montana child care guide provides a fuller checklist.

Job loss and unemployment

Montana unemployment insurance provides temporary income to some people who lose work through no fault of their own and meet wage and availability rules. Applicants generally must be able and available for full-time work or approved training.

Use the official Montana unemployment portal to file, make required requests, report earnings, and review appeal information. Pregnancy or child care needs do not automatically qualify or disqualify a person; the agency reviews the facts and availability for suitable work.

College grants, scholarships, and tax credits

FAFSA and Pell Grants

The 2026–27 FAFSA is available for students attending college or career school between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027. The FAFSA is free and is used for federal grants, school grants, work-study, and loans.

Submit the official FAFSA form and ask the school’s financial aid office about its own deadlines. Pell Grant eligibility and amounts depend on the FAFSA information, enrollment, school costs, and federal rules.

The Montana University System lists state and campus opportunities through MUS scholarships and Award Montana. Deadlines and eligible students differ by award. The ASMOM Montana education guide helps separate grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study.

Earned Income Tax Credit

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) can provide a refundable federal tax credit to some low- and moderate-income workers. Eligibility depends on earned income, filing status, qualifying children, investment income, and other rules.

Use the official IRS EITC page or an IRS-certified free tax site. File a return to claim the credit, even when you otherwise might not have a filing requirement.

Housing, rent, and utility help

Housing Choice Voucher waitlist

As of July 16, 2026, Montana’s statewide Housing Choice Voucher and Moderate Rehabilitation waitlists are open. Applicants are placed based on regional list, preference, and application date and time.

Use the official voucher program page to apply and check status. Joining the list does not provide immediate rent money or guarantee a voucher. Keep the mailing address, phone number, income, and household information current while waiting.

Call 211 and local housing agencies for short-term rent, shelter, deposit, and homelessness resources. The ASMOM Montana housing guide covers waitlists, emergency housing, and renter help.

LIHEAP and weatherization

Montana LIHEAP helps eligible households with winter heating costs. The regular heating season runs October 1 through April 30. The 2025–26 application period is closed as of July 16, 2026, unless the state announces an extension.

Weatherization applications remain open throughout the year. Weatherization may provide approved labor and materials to make a home more energy efficient. Renters and homeowners may apply, but program and owner-approval rules can differ.

Do not use the general benefits portal for LIHEAP. Use the Montana energy page and submit the combined application to the local or Tribal eligibility office. The ASMOM Montana utility guide covers crisis calls and shutoff steps.

Child support, legal help, and family safety

Child Support Services Division

The Montana Child Support Services Division can locate parents, establish parentage, create financial and medical support orders, enforce orders, and review some orders for modification.

The official child support page links to online enrollment. Montana generally charges a $25 enrollment fee, but the fee is waived for people receiving listed Montana public assistance, including Medicaid, HMK, SNAP, cash assistance, or a child care grant.

Child support may help over time, but it is not a same-day emergency program. The ASMOM Montana child support guide covers establishment, enforcement, modification, and safety concerns.

Free civil legal help

Montana Legal Services Association may help eligible people with civil problems such as eviction, public benefits, domestic violence, debt, and family law. Call 1-800-666-6899 Tuesday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. or use the MLSA application.

Montana LawHelp benefits provides free legal information about public assistance, housing, and hearings. Services and representation depend on eligibility, facts, staff, and case priorities.

The ASMOM Montana legal guide lists more legal starting points.

Domestic violence support

If another person monitors your phone, email, location, or benefit accounts, use a safer device when possible. The Montana Department of Justice lists the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. The state hotline page provides the official referral.

The ASMOM Montana safety guide gives careful support options without replacing help from an advocate.

Tribal and rural Montana help

Some Tribal Nations operate separate TANF, LIHEAP, housing, child care, health, or victim-service programs. A state application may not be the correct application for every Tribal program.

For energy help, use the state’s list of local and Tribal LIHEAP offices. For other needs, call 211 and ask for the program serving your reservation, county, or ZIP code.

Distance can make appointments, child care, and medical care harder in rural areas. Ask agencies whether interviews can be done by phone, whether documents can be uploaded or faxed, and whether transportation or mileage help is available through the specific program.

Documents and information to gather

You do not need every item before making the first call. File urgent applications, then ask what proof is still needed. The ASMOM documents checklist can help you organize copies.

If help is denied, delayed, or closed

Ask for the decision in writing. The notice should explain the reason, effective date, and hearing or appeal path. Different programs use different deadlines, so the notice controls.

1. Ask what is missing. Find out whether the issue is an interview, income proof, household information, address, provider, or unsigned form.
2. Correct the record. Send proof through the method the program accepts and keep a delivery confirmation.
3. Request review on time. Montana’s Office of Administrative Hearings handles many DPHHS disputes. Some SNAP hearing requests may be made verbally, but written confirmation is safer.
4. Protect urgent needs. An appeal may not stop eviction, shutoff, or food loss. Call 211 and legal aid while the case is reviewed.

Use the official hearing office page and follow the instructions in your notice. The ASMOM benefits problem guide helps organize notices, proof, and deadlines.