Transportation Assistance for Single Mothers in Tennessee

Where to start

Choose the row that best matches your trip. Tell the agency when you must travel and whether children or a wheelchair will be with you.

When transportation costs make it hard to pay other bills, the Tennessee assistance guide covers other programs you can ask about.

TennCare rides for medical care

TennCare’s non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) benefit is for members who have no way to get to a TennCare-covered service. Covered trips may include a doctor, dentist, pharmacy, or therapy visit. The visit and member must qualify for the benefit; a ride is not available for any trip a person chooses.

The official TennCare transportation page says to book routine rides at least two business days before the visit. Weekends do not count. If you learn of an urgent appointment with less notice, call anyway. The ride center checks with the care provider to confirm the urgent need.

These are ride-scheduling numbers, not the plans’ general member-service lines. TennCare also lists them on its official contact page. Use the plan shown on your member card. Ask whether you can schedule online through the plan’s approved provider.

Have the member’s name, birth date, phone number, TennCare ID or Social Security number, pickup address, appointment date and time, and the care provider’s name, address, and phone number ready. Ask for a trip confirmation number.

Traveling with children or a caregiver? Tell the scheduler how many seats you need. If a child needs a safety seat, bring it and take it with you after the ride. Do not expect the driver to bring one. Tell the scheduler about a wheelchair, walker, help getting to a door, language needs, or a child traveling to care.

If you do not know when your appointment will end, ask how to set up a return trip as a will-call. Call the ride center when you are ready to leave. If your ride does not appear, contact the same center right away. Keep a record of the call and the wait.

Gas money when someone can drive

If a friend, relative, or neighbor can take you to a covered TennCare visit, ask about the Mileage Reimbursement Program. It may help pay for fuel instead of sending a ride-service vehicle. The same option may be available when you have a car but cannot pay for gas.

Contact the ride center before you arrange the trip. Ask how the ride must be booked, who may drive, what proof is needed, how much is paid, and when to submit a claim. For family members going to the same doctor on the same day, TennCare’s guidance says mileage is paid for one trip, not once for each child.

Do not book your own Uber or Lyft and expect TennCare to pay you back. TennCare says you must go through its ride center first. The state explains these rules in its member transportation FAQ. If your loved one is being discharged from a hospital, ask the ride center about the reimbursement option for the trip home.

City buses, fares, and free passes

The Tennessee transit overview says transit systems serve all 95 counties, but that does not mean every home has a nearby bus stop. City service can include fixed-route buses, commuter trips, and paratransit. Fares and route hours differ.

Nashville: WeGo Journey Pass

The WeGo Journey Pass provides free WeGo trips for eligible Davidson County residents after registration. WeGo’s published list of proof includes current SNAP, TANF, TennCare, WIC, housing voucher, or certain other program records. You may register at a listed event or through a partner agency where you receive help. Ask what ID and proof to bring before you go. The pass covers certain WeGo bus, rail, and access services, but not every service.

Memphis: MATA

MATA’s zero-fare program began November 16, 2025, as a 90-day pilot. MATA now says the pilot has been extended. Its current fare page lists free rides during the pilot on buses, trolleys, MATAplus, and certain on-demand service. Because MATA has not promised that free fares will last forever, check the pilot and MATA fare page before leaving. MATAplus riders must still meet eligibility and booking rules.

Knoxville and Chattanooga

In Knoxville, KAT fares include reduced-fare options for eligible riders and fare capping through katpay. Children and riders with disability-related needs may have separate rules. Check the proof needed and whether the discount works with your payment method.

In Chattanooga, CARTA’s fare page lists standard, reduced, and multi-day pass options. CARTA’s Care-a-Van is a separate accessible service with its own eligibility and fares. Do not assume a city discount also covers Care-a-Van.

Rural and regional transportation

In many Tennessee counties, public transit is a van that you book ahead. You may be able to ride for work, shopping, a clinic, or another approved destination. Trips, fares, child riders, wheelchair access, and county-line travel depend on the provider.

• Mid-Cumberland: MCHRA Transit asks for about 24 hours’ notice for local trips and 72 hours for out-of-county trips. Its own site says it does not serve Davidson County, even though some statewide lists group the region more broadly. Check your exact address and destination with the operator.
• East Tennessee: ETHRA Transit requests three business days’ notice. It serves the public on a first-call basis, subject to available seats, and gives priority to medical trips.
• Northeast Tennessee: NET Trans provides regional door-to-door transportation. It also lists same-day Connect service within select town zones, including Greeneville, Tusculum, and Elizabethton. This is not the same as a statewide same-day ride.
• Other counties: Use the state transit directory above to find the rural agency for your county. Ask whether it serves both your home and the place you need to reach.

When you call, ask about the pickup window, fare, wait time, return ride, and what happens if your appointment runs late. Ask whether a child needs an adult with them and whether a car seat is required. Reserve early for work, court, child care, and health visits.

Transportation for work and training

Families First (TANF)

Families First is Tennessee’s TANF program. For eligible families, it can include temporary cash aid and support for work, training, child care, and transportation. It is not an automatic gas payment. Ask your worker whether the ride is tied to your Personal Responsibility Plan or approved work activity. The Tennessee TANF guide explains how the wider program works.

SNAP Employment and Training

The state SNAP E&T program lists transportation, child care, work supplies, training, and job-retention support. State guidance says participants must meet program rules, receive SNAP, and not receive Families First cash assistance. Ask the E&T team which expenses can be approved, who pays them, and whether help is available before or after the trip. The Tennessee SNAP guide can help if you first need food benefits.

American Job Centers

Use the state American Job Center finder to ask about local workforce services. An approved training plan or local program may include a bus pass or other support, but payment is not assured. If child care is also blocking your job, ask a worker to help you find both services rather than making separate trips.

Do this before spending money: Give your worker your job or class schedule, the trip cost, and why you cannot get there. Ask for approval in writing when possible. Keep receipts only if the program says they will be accepted.

School rides when housing is unstable

A child may qualify under the federal McKinney-Vento law if the family lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate place to sleep. That can include staying in a shelter, motel, car, or sharing a home because housing was lost or cannot be paid for. Not every shared living arrangement qualifies; explain your child’s actual housing situation to the school.

Tennessee’s Homeless Education Program supports school access for children who qualify. If the child remains at the school of origin, transportation may be required when requested and when that school placement is in the child’s best interest. Contact your school district’s McKinney-Vento liaison rather than assuming you must move your child to a new school.

If the school says no, ask for a written explanation and the district’s dispute steps. Explain any missed school days caused by the ride problem. If your family needs shelter or rent help too, see Tennessee housing assistance.

Disability and accessible rides

Some riders with disabilities cannot use regular fixed-route buses for all trips. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), qualifying transit agencies provide complementary paratransit. It is usually a separate application, not the same as showing a disability card.

The Federal Transit Administration explains that eligibility depends on a person’s ability to use a regular bus in real conditions, not just on a diagnosis. Ask your local transit agency for the eligibility form, accessible formats, help completing it, and the decision time. Written denials must have an appeal route.

For one local example, CARTA Care-a-Van accepts applications for riders who meet its service-area and functional eligibility rules. Reserve after approval and ask about its current fares and booking windows. The state transportation assistance page explains referral options mainly for older adults, which may help if you also care for an older family member. For statewide disability referrals, Tennessee Disability Pathfinder can help identify services. See the Tennessee disability guide for other forms of help.

Ask for a lift-equipped vehicle, an accessible pickup point, or help boarding when you make a reservation. If the agency denies paratransit, request the written decision and the appeal instructions. Do not wait until the day of an urgent trip to start an eligibility application.

Gas cards, bus passes, and car repairs

Some schools, clinics, workforce offices, charities, domestic violence programs, faith groups, and Community Action agencies may have limited travel help. It can be a bus pass, fuel voucher, volunteer driver, or help with a repair. It depends on location, funds, and the purpose of the trip.

Ask a Tennessee community support provider for an agency serving your ZIP code. Say, for example, “I need to get to a job interview on Tuesday, and a round trip costs $12.” Ask whether a caseworker must refer you or whether payment goes directly to a transit agency or shop.

Watch for scams: There is no verified statewide free-car grant for every single mother. Do not pay to get on a secret grant list, send gift cards, or share banking passwords for a promised car. Check any repair quote and avoid high-cost loans if possible.

What to gather before calling

You can ask for help without having every document. Start with your trip date and what will happen if you miss it. Then ask which papers your program needs.

• For a TennCare ride: Health plan and member ID, appointment time, pickup and care-provider addresses, care-provider phone, and any mobility or child-seat needs.
• For work help: Case number, job or training schedule, employer or program contact, trip cost, and written approval if required.
• For rural transit: Pickup and drop-off points, day and time, return-trip plan, number of children, access needs, and fare method.
• For gas or repair help: Identity and household details if requested, reason for travel, estimate, deadline, and any agency referral.
• For school help: Child’s school, current place of stay, school-of-origin request, and best safe contact method.

Write down whom you spoke to, the date, what the office said, and any confirmation number. Ask before sending private documents through text, email, or a website.

If the ride is denied, delayed, or never arrives

Step 1: Call the provider that arranged the ride. Ask why it failed, whether another driver is available, and how to make a complaint. Keep the appointment date, trip number, call times, and any missed-care or missed-work details.

Step 2: For TennCare, contact your health plan’s ride center. If a transportation problem stops you from getting needed health care, ask about TennCare’s medical appeal process. Its official guidance says you generally have 60 days from learning of the problem to file a medical appeal. Call Member Medical Appeals at 1-800-878-3192 for help or to file by phone. Do not assume the same 60-day rule applies to every other type of benefit notice.

Step 3: For a denied ADA paratransit application, ask for the written decision and appeal instructions. For school transportation, ask the McKinney-Vento liaison for the dispute route. For work support, ask which part of your plan or approval rule needs to be fixed.

Step 4: If your first option is full, ask 211 for another local provider, ask your caseworker to request help, or ask the agency if your appointment can be moved without loss of benefits. If a transportation denial affects school access, disability rights, or benefits, the Tennessee legal help guide lists ways to seek advice. This article is information, not legal advice.

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