Being divorced is difficult on its own, but being a divorced mother comes with even more challenges. If you're struggling to adjust post-divorce, there are non-profits, government programs, and community organizations you can turn to for assistance. These are just some of the many places you can turn to.
Financial Assistance Resources for Divorced Moms
Financial assistance for divorced moms comes in many forms: counseling about budgeting and financial planning, low-interest loans, grants, subsidized food programs, and even free automobiles and cell phones.
These organizations focus on helping struggling divorced mothers with the means to attend school, become financially independent, or grow a business:
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant: This program provides undergraduate students with $100-$4,000 a year to pay for education expenses, such as books and tuition. Students are prioritized according to financial need. There's no age restriction for applicants and since grant funding is provided, the recipient doesn't have to pay the money back.
- Federal Pell Grant: This grant is awarded to undergraduate students with a documented financial need to help pay for their education. In 2024, the maximum award was approximately $7,395. Your exact amount will depend on whether you attend school on a full or part-time basis. You don't have to repay the awarded funds and there's no age restriction.
- National Child Support Enforcement Association: This non-profit group gives divorced parents who are owed child support payments advice on how to obtain them. The group operates more than 350 chapters nationwide and provides state-specific information to each individual seeking assistance.
- Pension Rights Center: Through this group, newly divorced moms can determine their rights to their ex-spouse's pension plan. The group discusses the federal and state laws that apply to the mother's situation.
- Free Charity Cars: This charity refurbishes automobiles and gives them to needy individuals at a low cost. The group also provides interest-free or low-interest loans to qualified individuals to help them finance the vehicle.
- National School Lunch Program: This federally-funded program provides children of low-income families with lunch and after-school snacks. A similar program exists for breakfast.
- SafeLink Wireless: This program provides individuals who qualify for a federal support program, such as Medicaid or food stamps, with free cell phones with a 250-minute per-month plan.
- Health and Human Services Child Care Program: This federal program provides parents with free child care while they attend school or a training program. To qualify, parents must be receiving temporary financial assistance or transitioning from public to private housing.
Related: Effects of Divorce on Children and How to Help Them Through It
Emotional Support Programs for Divorced Mothers
Emotional support for divorced moms takes the form of support groups, counseling, and even legal guidance. These programs focus on providing divorced mothers with information about the common effects of divorce and running a single-parent household:
- International Association for Marriage and Family Counselors: This association provides referrals to licensed therapists and counselors familiar with handling the emotional difficulties many children and adults encounter during or after a divorce. Referrals are available for any state.
- National Association of Counsel for Children: This non-profit group gives interested individuals the most up-to-date information about divorce legislation. Although it researches recently passed laws about any aspect of a divorce, it mainly focuses on child support and custody issues.
- Children's Rights Counsel: This organization educates parents about handling the most common responses and problems affecting children during and after a divorce.
- Child Abuse Listening and Mediation: This group counsels parents who believe that the stresses in their lives may lead them to harm their children. Counseling can be one-on-one or through support groups. Support focuses on fostering better relationships between children and divorced parents.
- DivorceCare.org: This organization educates parents on how divorce affects themselves and their children and how to handle the changes it causes. Local chapters can be found on the organization's website. The group also offers DivorceCare for Kids.
Places Where Divorced Mothers Can Get Online Support
Divorced mothers can also find support online. Usually, online support comes in the form of discussion forums or regularly posted articles about divorce-related life changes written by professional counselors.
- Midlife Divorce Recovery: This online support group provides discussion forums, statistics, and information on recent divorce laws. Users can also access articles on a variety of divorce topics.
- Women's Divorce: This online chat forum allows divorced women to discuss troubling situations around their divorce.
You Have More Options Than You Think
Divorce can be an incredibly isolation process, but these organizations prove that you're never alone in getting back on your feet. Whether you're a young divorced mother striking out on her own or an older divorced mom trying to put her life back together, there are places you can turn — and these resources are a great place to start.
