Throughout the years I have had my ups and downs. During the low points I really felt like I had no other option other than going on Welfare in order to be able to feed my family and keep a roof over our heads.
With the economy the way that it is even those of us who are employed are often underemployed. I think a lot of people are under the false impression that if you work at all you aren't eligible to receive any kind of assistance, but that actually isn't the case.
Aid generally falls into four categories: Cash, food, Medi-Cal, and child care. Each one has it's own income limits but if you are struggling financially you may want to at least look into it and see if you are eligible for any programs. If you have children and have no medical coverage available to you you should definitely look into Medi-Cal for them and yourself. There are even child dentists that accept it, so really think about getting it for your family.
If you visit this website you can go through this short questionnaire to get an estimate of what programs you might be eligible for, and it's all anonymous: CalWIN Site
Another great thing about aid is the child care aspect. I don't know about you, but if I wasn't receiving subsidized child care it wouldn't even really be worth it to work, because the amount I would be paying out for care would be about the same as what I was making. If you are receiving, or within the last two years have ever received, cash aid then you are eligible for 4C's. It is an excellent program that assists with paying for child care. You can visit their site here: 4C's Santa Clara County
Even if you are not eligible for cash aid, or have never received it, you should at least go on the 4C's site and get your name on the Centralized Eligibility List. If you contact the numbers on the site they will walk you through it. It is a waiting list for parents who aren't eligible by the cash aid standard, but who are still considered low income. When there are funds available they will start enrolling people from the list and assisting them with child care costs.
I know that being on Welfare has a lot of negative connotations. There are people who assume it's for people who are too lazy to go out and get a job, or are too busy sitting around having kids to go out and support themselves. It's just not true! The bottom line is this, if you are struggling to support yourself right now you need to do what you need to do. That's it. If government assistance is the route you need to take, then take it, and don't feel ashamed!
Your #1 priority is keeping your kids happy and healthy, and if getting help makes it easier for you to do it, then there is no shame in that.
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