Free Baby Stuff for Low Income Families

lifh 34 Comments Personal Finance

Having a baby is expensive. From the items needed to care for the child to furniture and medical expenses required during pregnancy, the costs can add up. For low income families, often the choice is to “go without.” However, that doesn’t have to be the case as numerous organizations throughout the country provide help by supplying loads of free stuff as well as help with some of the expenses of childbirth and infancy. Find out more below.

Pregnancy Help
It is of utmost importance to your baby’s health that you get the proper care during pregnancy including proper medical visits and checkups.

For most low income families your first option for free or very low cost medical coverage is Medicaid, the US government’s medical coverage for low income families. Medicaid provides specific benefits for pregnant women in low income situations but it can vary from state to state. Apply online through Medicaid’s website directly to find out your eligibility and covered expenses for the state you live in.

If you do not qualify for Medicaid the CHIP or Children’s Health Insurance Program provides medical coverage for children and pregnant woman. The CHIP program is state run with their own state eligibility standards.

 
Proper Nutrition
During pregnancy and an infant’s first months of life nutrition is very important for mother and baby and can affect the long term health of your child. If you are in a low income situation and having a hard time providing basic food necessities there organizations that can help you specifically.

The Women, Infants and Children (WIC) organization provides food, health care services and nutrition education for pregnant and new mothers. Getting the right nutrition for pregnant and nursing mothers is one of their prime objectives.

The USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse provides a national referral service for food supplement programs in your area. From the SNAP program, food distribution, child nutrition and WIC programs. All can be found in this one easy to use location. Finding proper nutrition for free near you has never been easier.

Free Baby Furniture
One of the most costly parts of having a baby is getting the right furniture to support the health development and growth of your infant. Many of the major necessities are available free if you know where to look.

Cribs
Cribsforkids provides free cribs for low income families throughout the US. You can find a donation center near you on their website.

Donation Websites
A lot of baby furniture is posted on donation and classified websites such as Freecycle, Ebay Classifieds and Craigslist. You could also reach out to your local charitable organizations such as Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul and others that provide help to those in need.

Breast Pumps
Many new and expecting mothers are unaware of programs which provide quality, named brand breast pumps for free. Get the details on how and where you can receive a breast pump without the hefty price tag.

When you need items for you or your baby, there are a number of national, state and local organizations that can also provide alternate items that may free up your budget to get the furniture, diapers, food or medical visits you need. From housing subsidies, food stamps and emergency cash grants these programs give you the budget to buy what you need.
 

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