Financial Help For Pregnant Mothers: 3 Best Possible Options

A pregnant woman living in a difficult situation finds it challenging to raise money for a family need. Having a baby is one of the greatest gifts in life, but it is an emotional roller-coaster for a mother. If adequate help is not coming, it will affect the mental and physical health of both the mother and her child.

Luckily, there are varied resources for financial assistance such as government programs and online fundraising to help a woman sail through pregnancy and delivery.  

1. Maternity grants from federal & state government

For pregnant mothers in need of financial help, the government programs come as a big relief. Let’s see some of the popular schemes to help mothers during pregnancy and delivery.

Medicaid

The Medicaid plan covers pregnancy and childbirth. The grants and qualifications vary from state to state.

Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

This is also a program to provide assistance to pregnant mother and their infant.

In both these above programs, the pregnant mother will be covered throughout her pregnancy. Also, both she and the baby will be covered 60 days after she gives birth. After 60 days, the baby will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid and will continue to receive aid for its first year.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

This is a financial assistance program for low-income families which provides short-term aid to pay for basic needs such as food, clothing, utilities, and medical supplies. The aim of this is to make low-income families become self-sufficient to provide care for their children at home. Each state administers the program locally but the process and the wait are longer.   

Pregnancy Assistance Fund (PAF)

This program by the Office of Population Affairs (OPA) helps with financial assistance for pregnant mothers. Thousands of expectant mothers apply for this program each year. The application process is competitive. The recipients can use the fund to continue their education or find support for their families. This grant ceased at the end of the 2019 fiscal year. However, former grantees still receive their funds.  

Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant

This program gives mothers and their children access to quality healthcare. Through this program, expectant mothers receive free or low-cost prenatal and postnatal care. Here, the federal money flows to the state and jurisdictions rather than individuals. Designed to meet the Title V objectives, the local programs provide-

• Access to quality health care
• Access to prenatal and postnatal care
• Lower infant mortality and the occurrence of avoidable illnesses.
• Toll-free helplines for assistance    

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

Those who need assistance obtaining food may qualify for the federal program SNAP better known as Food Stamps. It provides a monthly grant that can be used to buy food. Unemployed mothers-to-be usually meet the criteria.

• $2,250 limit in countable resources
• Net monthly income under 100% of the poverty level
• Gross monthly income under 130% of the poverty level

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

In this program, low-income pregnant women receive funds to buy healthy food for their infants. This program also provides education on nutrition, breastfeeding support, and other health-related services. Women can avail of this grant until six months postpartum.

Both these above food assistance programs are open to mothers who fall under the category of low-income and are citizens or legal immigrants.

Diaper Bank Network

The Diaper Bank Network works with community diaper banks around the nation to help low-income women obtain free diapers.

Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

This grant seeks to lower home heating and cooling costs through bill payments and energy-saving home repairs for unemployed pregnant mothers.

 

2. Non-profit organizations

Many faith-based charities and nonprofits provide help in cash and kind to expectant mothers. Most of these charities serve small local areas although some of the reputed nonprofits may have offices all over. The best possible way is to search online or talk to your community members for help.   

 

3. Online fundraising for pregnant mothers

For mothers who need to raise money for a family need, the access to grants may be time-consuming. The best way to raise money in such a scenario is through online fundraising.

A newborn can bring a financial burden to the family especially when the expectant mother has to go on unpaid leave for a couple of months. In the U.S, many companies do not offer benefits, insurance, or paid maternity leave which makes it challenging for the family to live on a single income. Many mothers are now turning to popular online fundraising platforms for crowdfunding.

The online fundraising campaigns help pregnant mothers to pay for maternity leave or childcare. Let’s see how to raise money for pregnancy and maternity costs through an online fundraising platform.

Before starting the family fundraising campaign, understand that though the money raised may not be several thousand, it will help you fill the gaps in maternity leave and insurance.

• Describe the exact details of how much you plan to raise. Include a feasible budget for medical expenses, baby care, and other expenses. People want their donated money to be put into good use.
• Put a brief description of why you are raising money through crowdfunding. Tell them your position and your financial constraints. If possible, upload a video describing the same.
• There are thousands of online fundraising campaigns for the same cause. If you want your crowdfunding to stand out, try to give back to the community by helping a social cause or involving your family in it.
• Spread the word by sharing the link to the donation page on your social media accounts. Ask your friends to share the content.
• Reach out to people in your community. You can ask them to donate in whatever their capacity.

Crowdfunding helps you achieve your goals only if you share it to the maximum. Just setting up a page and waiting for donations to pour in will not help. You have to be proactive and share the messages on as many related groups and pages as possible.

Wrapping Up

Get help with the maternity costs through any of the tips mentioned here in this blog. If you need help urgently to cover the maternity leave and childcare costs, givingx can help. It is a trusted online fundraising platform to help you raise money by setting up a crowdfunding page easily and fast. Start your family fundraising campaign today.