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Grants for Single Mothers in Idaho

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1 Medicaid Program
2 Food Stamps Program
3 The Idaho Child Care Program (ICCP)
4 Idaho Opportunity Scholarship

There are standard programs that have been created by the federal government and they must be provided for each state. Some of these are Temporary Assistance for Families, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and Food Banks and Pantries, just to name a few. In Idaho, as in the rest of the country, each local government has created some programs to help single mothers and families in need. Below, you will find out how to apply or enroll them if you live in Idaho

Medicaid Program

The Idaho Medicaid Program is administrated in this state by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Medicaid has different programs available that provide health coverage for:


  • Children under age 19
  • Parents or other related adults with children under age 19
  • Pregnant women
  • Women diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer or pre-cancer
  • People aged 65 or older
  • People who are blind or disabled (using Social Security criteria)

To apply for Medicaid in Idaho, you only need your name, address and signature on an application for assistance, or you may use any of the following options to apply for Medicaid and other Health Coverage Assistance options:

In order to receive Medicaid, certain eligibility requirements must be met in areas such as, citizenship/immigration status, income, resources, work requirements, and other areas based on your household’s circumstances.

Food Stamps Program

The Idaho Food Stamp Program helps low-income families buy the food they need in order to stay healthy. An eligible family receives an Idaho Quest Card, which is used in card scanners at the grocery store. The card uses money from a Food Stamp account set up for the eligible family to pay for food items.

In order to receive food assistance, certain eligibility requirements must be met in areas such as, citizenship/immigration status, income, resources, work requirements, and other areas based on your household’s circumstances. To find out whether you could be eligible for Food Stamps, check out this pre-screening tool at https://www.snap-step1.usda.gov/fns/ (use only as a guide, not as a final determination). Regardless of the results of the tool, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare encourage you to visit their offices. A quick conversation will help you find out whether you may be eligible.

For most households, resources must be under $5,000 to qualify for Food Stamps. Resources include, but are not limited to, cash, bank accounts, stocks, bonds, real property, household vehicles, and recreational vehicles. Household vehicles might be excluded based on usage and other factors.

You can apply for food assistance at http://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/LinkClick.aspx?link=1554&tabid=90 with just your name, address, and signature on your Application for Assistance. This gets you started, but the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare still needs you to provide the rest of the information on the application before they can determine if you’re eligible to receive food assistance.

The Idaho Child Care Program (ICCP)

The Idaho Child Care Program (ICCP) provides child care assistance to low-income, working families by paying for a portion of child care. This program is for parents who work, attend school, or participate in approved activities to help prevent children from being placed in foster care. The program pays for part of the childcare costs for eligible households, and parents also pay a portion (called a co-pay). The parent’s share is based on the size of the family and the their income.

You may apply for child care assistance by visiting http://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/LinkClick.aspx?link=1554&tabid=292 page. Submit completed applications to your local Health and Welfare office. You may use the office-finder to assist you in finding your local office. You may also go directly to your local office and apply there. If you choose to go to your local office, be sure to go prepared with documentation that they can use to verify your income, expenses, resources, etc. Taking these documents with you will speed up the time it takes the officer to process your application for assistance.

The amount of childcare assistance you get is based on your income, and the number of hours you spend working, in school, or participating in approved activities. The amount of assistance also varies by location in the State, and the type of provider you prefer for your children. Only a certain amount of the cost of childcare can by covered by the Idaho Child Care Program. Most parents will have to pay for a portion of their childcare costs – a co-pay as well as any amounts charged by the childcare provider that exceeds the program limit.

Idaho Opportunity Scholarship

The Opportunity Scholarship awards eligible applicants up to $3,500 per year and is renewable for up to four years. The scholarship funds are available per school year; recipients must re-apply each year and are eligible to receive the scholarship for a maximum of four years.

To qualify for the scholarship, a student must meet all of the following criteria:

  • Have an unweighted, cumulative GPA of 2.7 or above
  • Be an Idaho resident
  • Be a graduate (or will graduate) from an Idaho high schoolor its equivalent (GED/HSE from Idaho)
  • Complete the State Board of Education scholarship application by March 1
  • Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1
  • Maintain satisfactory academic progress for financial aid purposes. See program rules for more details
  • Must attend an eligible Idaho college or university

For further details on eligibility and program administration please see the following link.

If you are living in Idaho, You may like to check these resources too:
Help with Bills
Housing Assistance
Rental Assistance
Child Support

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