Disability in single mothers is hard. Aside from the fact that those mothers are left alone to care for their child, the disability has add up to the difficulty. Fortunately, there are already available services and assistance for disabled mothers. A policy is also created to protect the rights of those disabled mothers as well as protecting them from discrimination at work. This policy is known as the American Disabilities Act.

The services and assistance that are provided to disabled single mothers aim to help these mothers to overcome their disability and continue to live life together with their children. Being disabled can either be caused from a physical disability, learning disability, or a mental disability. Based on the Census of the United States of America, approximately forty one million of Americans are disabled. Majority of these disabled people are women, although the welfare reforms continue to push those disabled mothers to work.

Services are provided to Disabled Single Mothers came from TANF and SSI

Usually, the average income for an individual who is not disabled would be $22,000; however, a person with a disability would only earn approximately $12,000. Studies have found out that mothers who are receiving assistance from the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families or TANF are disabled mothers or mothers who have a disabled child. However, since the reform of the welfare programs, fewer those disabled mothers are getting help from TANF. Aside from that, the Social Security Income that also provides additional assistance to the disabled mothers has set strict standards and criteria, lessening the number of its beneficiaries.

Services provided by the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families or TANF would involve case management. This includes application of services from the Social Security Income for the disabled single mother. However, not all caseworkers who are handling the cases for disabled single mothers are aware of these services causing denial of application. The rates of applicants being denied are very high and alarming. The government took action last February 2009 when the National Council for State Legislatures has proposed that the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families office and the Social Security Income office should work together so that everything will work well. However, disabled mothers need to know that the federal law does not allow approval of both services at the same time.

One of the services provided by the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families is to refer the disabled mothers to the Department of Labor, specifically on the One Stop Career Center. Disabled mothers would be able to know which career and fields would be suitable for them to earn money even with the disability. There are also single mother programs that will be referred by One Stop to help those disabled mothers. Aside from that, single mother subsidies will also be provided to ensure that the child will receive proper care and nutrition. Keep in mind that services for those disabled mothers can vary from one state to another. The disabled single mother can check on the local social service agency so that she can check out the lists of services provided in a state.

Testing and Screening Disabled Single Mothers with Learning Disabilities

The single mother and welfare reform programs have not recognized the existence of mothers with learning disabilities. Not until the recent times, screening learning disabilities are done to check the extent of the learning disability of the mother and to check whether the mother is capable of working even with the learning disability. If the case of the disability is just subtle, then the disabled single mother can undergo educational programs or vocational courses that can help her in getting a work. Studies have found out that if the learning disability is recognized, then the chances of being successful are possible.

Many agencies can actually provide various services that a disabled single mother can utilize. There are single mother scholarships that are being offered for single mothers with learning disabilities. They can actually benefit from these scholarship programs because it offers various courses and trainings for handicapped women. Aside from that, if the disabled single mother can no longer support her child, there are single mother adoption options that a single mother can inquire.