Social Service Resources

Search Engine: google.com
Search Words: a person without food or income is left to suffer but the baby is taken in custody

SiteMeter tells me that someone landed here on my blog via the search terms listed above. I thought it would be a great time to list resources for such a person. Apologies for only listing resources for the United States. If you are outside of the united states, search for your country and the resource name you are seeking, or look in your local phone directory providing you have one. If you would like to add anything helpful, please do so in the comments.

It has been my experience that when CPS takes a child into custody, a case is opened on the parents and unless they are repeat offenders, they are also offered services via CPS. This means that a worker will help them with transportation, either through scheduling a family support worker to pick up the parents for visits, job interviews, parenting classes, and such or giving gas vouchers so that they can use their own vehicle if they have one. A worker will also help with getting the family on any services that they qualify for such as foodstamps, WIC, medicaid, government housing such as HUD or section 8, unemployment benefits, welfare, disability, or assistance in finding a job. So typically the parents aren't "left to suffer" without help when their child is taken into custody.

I would hope that said parents wouldn't want their child to have to remain in such a situation where they too were having to "suffer". I would hope that said parents would be actively trying to improve their situation so as to protect their child from suffering from lack of food, shelter, and proper medical care. I'm thinking that surely they must be using the internet at a free location such as the public library because obviously food comes before internet and cable. I'm assuming people understand how to budget and live within their means and clip coupons and live frugally and save some money for a rainy day and then if all heck breaks loose, they know how to seek out and utilize services. Maybe I'm assuming too much.

FOOD
foodbanks
foodstamps
emergency food assistance program
soup kitchens
churches
wic
Salvation Army

HOUSING
hope for homeowners
HUD
homeless shelters
women's shelters

EMPLOYMENT
employment office
unemployment benefits
supplemental security income
goodwill
temporary assistance for needy families
job corps
army
air force
government jobs

CLOTHING
goodwill
Salvation Army
churches
thrift stores

MEDICAL
medicaid
state insurance program for children

CHILD CARE
early start
headstart
state lists
what to look for in a quality child care provider
find a NAEYC accredited child care center