Supportive Services

If you are interesting in adopting a child with special needs, you may be eligible for adoption assistance to cover some of the costs of the adoption, the costs of caring for a child's special care needs, and medical costs not covered by your family's insurance.

If someone close to you has recently died, you could receive burial assistance to help cover final costs.

If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments, you may also be eligible for Caretaker Supplement payments.

If you do not live with the other parent of your child, the Bureau of Child Support will work with you to help you get child support payments. If you do not live with your child and need help making your Child Support payments, please visit the Making Child Support Payments page.

Emergency Assistance is a one-time payment you can apply for every 12 months if you are faced with an emergency due to fire, flood, natural disaster, energy crisis, homelessness or impending homelessness. You can apply for Emergency Assistance at your local Wisconsin Works (W-2) Agency.

If you are caring for your relative's child, you may be eligible for Kinship Care or Subsidized Guardianship.

Refugee Cash Assistance and Refugee Medical Assistance are available if you or someone in your family is a new refugee who is not eligible for W-2, Supplemental Security Income, or a Match Grant.

You may be eligible for Tax Credits if you have earned income in the past few years. Please visit the Tax Credits page to find out more about available Tax Credits.

The Wisconsin Works (W-2) program can help you get a job and provide for your family. W-2 can help you find a job, provide you with work experience, connect you with education and training, and provide case management services to help you stay employed and advance in your career. Parents and pregnant women can receive W-2 services. A worker at the W-2 Agency determines if you are eligible for W-2. To apply, please visit the Find a W-2 Agency page.

If you have a child between the ages of 6 - 18, Boys and Girls Clubs throughout Wisconsin teach youth about citizenship and leadership development, the arts, health and life skills, educational and career development, sports, fitness, and recreation. They also provide social and cultural activities.

If you or your child's physician feel that your child may have a developmental delay or disability, your child may be eligible for the Birth to 3 Program. Birth to 3 can help connect you to services and resources that will help you understand your child's development and help your child grow and learn to their fullest potential.

If you are low-income and your child is younger than 5 years old, your child may be eligible to attend Head Start or Early Head Start. Children who attend Head Start participate in educational activities, receive free medical and dental care, and are served healthy meals and snacks.

If you are pregnant or have recently had a baby, you could receive help caring for your baby through the Family Foundations Home Visiting program. A worker will come to your home to help you learn how to care for your baby safely and teach you activities to help your baby develop.

The Department of Public Instruction offers many resources to parents to ensure that children are healthy and safe while attending school. Your child may be eligible to receive free or reduced cost breakfast and lunch while attending school. To find out more, please visit the Department of Public Instructions’ website, or contact your local school district to find out more.

If you are low-income and working or participating in W-2 activities, you may be eligible for Wisconsin Shares Child Care for children under the age of 13. If a child has a special need, the child may remain eligible until the child's 19th birthday.

If you are a low-income individual interested in attending college, you may be eligible for a grants from the Wisconsin Higher Education Aids Board or the Wisconsin Educational Opportunity Program to help cover the costs of attending college.

If you are in out-of-home care, or if you aged out of care, you could be eligible for scholarships to help you pay for higher education. To learn more about these scholarships, please visit the Youth Services Paying for College page.

If you are receiving FoodShare, you may be eligible for FoodShare Employment and Training (FSET). FSET helps FoodShare members build their job skills and find jobs through education and training services.

Job Access Loans are short-term, interest free loans that can help you cover immediate financial expenses related to obtaining or maintaining employment.

Job Centers are open to all job seekers. Job Centers offer many services, including access to training programs, testing, and assessment of individual job seeker skills and interests, job referrals, job search assistance, and job opportunities. Job Centers also have information about jobs, careers, and the area labor market. You can also apply to participate in education and training to help you get a job or a better job at the Job Center through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

The Skills Enhancement Program assists working, low-income individuals to obtain the skills they need to compete for living wage jobs. The program assists with tuition, books, and training-related transportation and childcare costs that participants could not otherwise afford. Check if your local Community Action Agency offers the Skills Enhancement Program.

Transportation Assistance ensures that parents can get their children to day care and themselves to work. W-2 agencies can assist you by arranging van pools, setting up volunteer driver programs, accessing loan resources or providing Job Access Loans for personal vehicle purchase and repair, encouraging employer-based transportation programs, expanding transit hours and service areas, and hiring transportation coordinators. If you are a W-2 participant, your W-2 Agency may also offer workshops on how to purchase used cars, maintain your car, apply for loans, or shop for automobile insurance. The W-2 Agency can also offer assistance in locating driver’s education classes and learning about driver’s licensing processes. You can apply for Transportation Assistance at your local W-2 Agency.

If you have a disability, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation is available to assist you with obtaining, maintaining, or improving employment.

The Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) offers many short-term certificates (6 months or less), 1 to 2 year Technical Degrees or Diplomas, and 2 year Associate Degrees. WTCS can help you earn a certificate or diploma, as well as help you begin a career pathway. A career pathway can help you get better jobs within your chosen field. You can learn more about career pathways and grants to help you pay for school at the WTCS website.

The Wisconsin Works (W-2) program can help you get a job and provide for your family. W-2 can help you find a job, provide you with work experience, connect you with education and training, and provide case management services to help you stay employed and advance in your career. Parents and pregnant women can receive W-2 services. A worker at the W-2 Agency determines if you are eligible for W-2. To apply, please visit the Find a W-2 Agency page.