Can any one tell me how they make a living being a single parent (mom)
i'm a mother of three kids two that are autistic?
I'm having a hard time making end meat with a mortgage,utilities, and the big one DIAPERS. ssi isn't covering it.
if i do get a job my kids miss therapies ect..
and when they get sick oh my all three get it so i'm usually out of work for 3 weeks.
Any ideas ????
Hi Kris!Its either a one year or one time grant. Now depending upon what child has the diapers sometimes you can get insurance to pay for it. If it is a medical necessity and the child is over the average age to be in diapers, you can get the child's doctor to write you out a prescription that explains the child's diagnosis and why he or she needs the diapers.
Tammy
This may already be in place but have you went to DHS for the basics like insurance, food stamps, and some states have family first grants to pay for child care for single parents.
Next you didnt mention ages, and I only know what my state has but for anyone dx with a disability 3-22 they get a free education. So maybe 1 or 2 of your boys are of that age. Some states only have 5-22. And they would automatically get their therapies in school. ALSO if need you can probably get free child care for the autistic children and say they need it to get access to their therapies. Talk to the early interventionist in your area they should know. Hope this helps.
I don't know if this idea will help at all, throw it out if it won't fit you, but have you thought of going to work w/ the district as a sub? Even if you don't qualify to be a substitute teacher, a substitute teacher's aid is a pretty good spot to be in. Of course this is best if all of your kids are enrolled in a day program either through the school or elsewhere. The great thing about that is you decline offers for days that you have appointments, accept offers for days you don't. You can also pay attention to how much income you're allowed to have without jeapordizing your ssi and just stay under that. It doesn't come w/ insurance or anything but it at least brings in some extra money. With your experience you should qualify to be a spec. ed. sub. aid, those are the most high demand and they can work 5 days a week here if they want to. Also, because it's pay-by-the-day and not a yearly salary you get more per day then you would if FT employed w/ the district.
Another benefit is, because you're subbing, you don't have to be there early and you don't have to stay late. You can make sure to be home when your kids get home from school. And you have all school holidays and every summer off, no need to pay for childcare. I don't know if that helps, but I thought I'd throw out that idea.
wow that was a start !! THANKS FOR THE ADVISE !!!
All of your responses are what i'm gonna check into asap!!
My children ages are 8-3-2 the 8 and 3 yr. old are autistic my 2 year old is talking up a storm !!! I'm not use to that since my other boys are non- verbal.
Thanks again for the info i'll let you what i find out !!
Hi Krismcj
I too am a single parent with 3 kids and in a similar situation. My kids are (almost) 17 diagnosed with ODD and Major Depressive Disorder, 9 3/4 ASD and 7. I live in a very small community. There is NO daycare center in any of the 3 towns that come together to make up our 1 Jr/Sr High school. Obviously Jobs last more hours than the school day. I don't understand how I am supposed to work full time 40 hours a week with NO DAYCARE facility within the district. We don't have taxis or city busses either. Most people here do not do at home babysitting because of the liability these days. Even if I did find someone the state only helps pay to approved facilities. I can not trust my 17 year old to help with her brother and sister as she is many times unstable herself.
Yes you can get basics for your family like insurance and food stamps, but it isnt much, and each state is different. Here as an adult I have only 24 months of insurance through the state and then I am "disciplined" by being removed for 6 months because I don't have a job. Doesnt matter what the reson is. I could work school hours but the nearest daycare centers here are not open on the weekends to coplete 40 hours a week. Without 40 hours a week I wont qualify for benefits from my employer but I would be off the state program.
Regarding all therapies received in school that doesnt happen here! Here the school only has to provide therapies that are to help the child ACADEMICALLY, so much of their needed therapies do have to be outside. I am in that situation that my son needs OT. PT, outside speech and private therapy (counseling/behavior ) I havent been able to get him the extra therapies other than the private therapy because I cant afford the gas to drive the distance it is to each place. As it is he is suppose to have weekly therapy btu i cant afford the gas to go so he has to go bi monthly instead.
As far as getting someone to take them to therapies I would like to hear more about it because I have mentioned this as a problem as well and never been told anything about it. My sons therapist is 40 minutes away. Her latest appointment is 3:30.......... I would have to miss work every week just for that therapy alone.
Ginger, I'd also like more where you mentioned anyone dx with a disability 3-22 they get a free education.
OMeyeMeye As far as going to work as a sub or a sub assistant I know here you have to have a college degree. You also have to pay to apply for a position and there is no guarantee you will get called. If you do get called it might be a job for a few hours one day and then not anythign for 3 months and then maybe 3 days and nothing for several weeks or months again. It isn't consistent and isnt enough to depend on to live on. It also messes up the assistance you get from the state or SSI, because here as soon as you make (or more) a month it has to be reported!
Currently because my youngest is 6 or older and in school full time I must participate in job related work activity in order to continue to collect food stamps. without going in to the full mess of detail it is UNREAL. They want me driving (minimum 10 hours a week) a different town where they have daycare to the school to find a place to live to move to and solve the no daycare issue. It is costing me more in gas than I get in assistance! They will not provide daycare while I do this. If I don't do it (or don't document it well enough to their liking) I get sanctioned. I have found 2 potential places to live. Place 1 was rented before I could reach housing about it. The 2nd place (although the rent is less than where I live now) they have determined the expected cost of utilities will (when added to the rent) put it over fair market and I cant rent it. HOWEVER they still expect me to keep looking. I feel like I keep running into a brick wall!
Krismcj.......... you mentioned a mortgage payment. I wish I could afford my own home,.... even a habitat for humanity home would be nice! I know there is metropolatain housing that helps pay part of your rent for low income families but the budget continues to be reduced and wait lists are extremely long. Currently in my county they are no longer taking applications at this time because there is no funding available. DOESN'T THIS TELL ANYONE WHAT KIND OF FINANCIAL PROBLEM PEOPLE ARE IN THESE DAYS??????
The laws vary too much from state to state. First the daycare question. Here in the last five years they have let you go to a daycare that is not licensed. The state will pay it but.............there is like a five year waiting list on that one.
As far as a free education, you have access to it. Doesn't mean you will get a proper and very adequate free education. That varies from state to state and from district to district. Now on the substitute teacher thing, I know here you have to have some sort of degree. Here if you have dual degrees, you can substitute for either regular ed or special ed. And some of the schools here have permament substitute teachers. So they are always on call for a particular school. As far as the therapies that too depends upon not only the school, but the IEP, and what that particular child needs, and what the school district will offer.
As far as transportation to doctor's appointments in the bigger cities they do have medical transportation services. That doesn't help in small towns tho.
Tammy
Well, there ya go! I've finally found probably the only benefit to living in the state recently ranked 47th in education: they'll hire me as a sub,
Well, I tried. I hope that all who are struggling with this issue find help soon. And as soon as my insurance company figures out that my child has a developmental disorder I'll be around asking what I'm supposed to do for medical insurance on my child so get those answers ready... We're *fortunate* enough to be middle class which means we can't afford to pay for these things on our own but the govt. considers us too "rich" to help even if our insurance refuses to cover him. When you're stuck in the middle it seems you get nothing. *Sigh*. Ok, enough of that reality stuff. I'm going to join Nate in his happy place and pretend that all is well with the world for a while, lol.
[QUOTE=OMeyeMeye]Well, there ya go! I've finally found probably the only benefit to living in the state recently ranked 47th in education: they'll hire me as a sub,
OK now THAT'S funny! Gave me my good giggle for the day!
Well no luck yet finding a job.
And to top it off my three year old therapies ot pt and sp through easter seals they all quit, something about easter seals does not pay there therapiest $$ always about $$$$$
So I'm out looking and getting on list to get my three yr old the therapies he needs. Which means i'll have to drive himn three to four times a week Thats not the problem having a job and all the running around to therapies doctors ect..... IT'S TUFF !!!!
So Wish me luck !!!
Let me go ahead and apologize in advance b/c I know that some of you will not agree with me. I know this is not what you want to hear, but I can tell you what I did. When I found out I was pregnant and unmarried at age 22, I had to make some decisions. I was graduating from college with a fairly worthless degree in psychology. I immediately decided that I had to get trained in a new profession that would provide a decent living for me and my yet unborn child. So, I took the test and applied to law school. I got every bit of financial aid I could get (i.e., loans I am still repaying), lived with family members for a short while (that was miserable) and worked three part-time jobs (clerking, teaching aerobics and running my own research business) while going to law school to pay rent and daycare. I did not ask for or receive any government assistance (other than financial aid). I got out, got a job at a law firm and have been working my butt off ever since. I realize that not everyone is capable of going to law school, but I believe that you have to educate yourself to the extent possible and get the best job you can. Student loans, Pell Grants, etc. are cheap and plentiful, particularly for single moms with kids. Consider getting an education b/c you will elevate yourself into a totally different job market.