Created in 1955, the Mitchell-Lama program provides affordable rental and cooperative housing to moderate- and middle-income families.

In other words, your rent goes by your income. This is an excellent program because all of the apartments are rent-stabilized.

Check out the list here

Well if you do, the government has a way of helping you out. It’s called the TEACHER GRANT Program. This program is designated to help students who are interested in helping underprivileged kids.

Most of us can’t deny that in the “bad” neighborhoods, the schooling system sucks. So if you can help, try it. It will make a difference in a child’s life.

Check it out

Meet Our Single Mother of the Month, Nikita Banks!

Ms.Nikita Banks is an entrepreneur and the founder and owner of www.singlegirlsguidetomen.com. The Single Girl’s Guide to Men is a site that covers  all facets of today’s relationships, but the site has a focus on wellness, beauty, fashion, fabulous events and entertaining. All things that are important to get to know yourself, to me it is important that we as singles attain loving relationships with ourselves first before we decide to look for something/or someone outside of us to make ourselves happy.

How old is your child? My son is 12

What affect did the separation/ divorce have on the child

His father and I lived together for a short while, but at that time the relationship was over.  My son takes everything in stride. He knew that when we were together, we ( me and his dad) would fight a lot so it didn’t make him no real difference when we separated for good.

What has been the most challenging for you thus far?

Honestly I can’t really say much, maybe the time factor, sometimes I wish I had more time to be in all the places I need to be to accomplish my goals and attempt to be a good mother.

Do you have any support system? If so, how do you utilize them? Yes, I don’t have much family but I do have a lot of people who help me out with my son and trust me it is a blessing.

How do you handle difficult decisions? (Do you discuss issues and concerns with your parents, other single mothers/ sister-friends?)

No, I handle difficult decisions alone for the most part.  I like to deal with them in my own way, since no matter what I decide I’m the one who has to live with the decision.  I think sometimes people weigh tough decisions on what others want them to do, rather than to realize that since they are the only ones who have to live with the consequences, they should be the only people that factor into the decision.

How do you entertain your child and yourself?

I wouldn’t call it entertainment, but my son and I have a lot of fun together.  We are always laughing and I ‘m surprised that we really enjoy each others company.  My son is self entertained though, he is a voracious reader, honor student, he plays football, acts and models commercially, and he is on the robotics, chess team, and student government at school.  So my son has absolutely no time for me, (smile)

Is the other parent involved? If so, in what capacity? If not, why not?

Yes, he is involved, but he somehow hasn’t fully committed himself to this whole parenting thing. My son’s father equates paying his child support as being a good father.  Obviously it’s not the same thing.  I think that is the hardest thing for me as a parent to see my son getting hurt by the lack of involvement he sees from his father but, it strengthens the relationship that he and I have since he knows he can depend on me for anything.

Are there any other male figures involved?

He has plenty of uncles and family members, coaches, and teachers that play a sort of role in his life.  But for the most part he is with me.

Are you dating? If not, why not?

Not anyone serious right now, It’s just not my focus.  I’m so focused on work and up until recently, my son was in his first Broadway show, so that is a full time job in itself. I hadn’t much time for anything let alone to meet someone to date.  I am open to meeting someone, but I’m holding out for the right someone.

How long do you think you should date before you introduce your child to that special someone?

That’s subjective; some people aren’t honest when asked this question.  Since I’m a full time mother, there have been a few times that my son has been around men who were interested in courting me, because during the week when you want to see me, I’m in my house.   My son understands that these are my friends. I don’t let anyone play Daddy, or touch me in a suggestive manner in front of my son, because it is important that he see men treat me with respect and that they show him respect.  I had an issue with that in my last relationship because he didn’t want to respect the “dating rules” in my household. But I think it’s important that when you are raising a son, you maintain a certain level of respect for him, during such interactions.  We are their first idea of what a woman is, and I wouldn’t want to distort that by engaging in unsavory behavior<<.(SBM LOVES THIS)

Being a single parent can be a challenging especially in terms of balancing your personal needs as a woman and your child. How do you address this challenge? If not, why not?

I don’t really feel that that is any more of a challenge than trying to balance mother hood and a career. My rule of thumb is my son comes first, but I always take time to maintain myself, get my hair nails done, go to the spa on a regular basis, to regroup and re-focus. It’s hard to proceed with your day to day struggles without giving yourself a break.

What advice would you give to other women about single motherhood?

Think about it very carefully, I had my son when I was 23 and it was the hardest decision I ever had to make, He is my only child because of all of the struggles that I’ve went through in the past with parenting.  It is the hardest job I ever had to do, and one that I take very seriously.  I think not enough people take it seriously.  You have to nurture your children’s interests, find out who their friends are, raise them and care for their emotional health.  Parenting is overwhelming because as a mother you have to provide your child with all of the tools to become a whole human being.  The biggest advice I would give for single mother’s raising their son’s especially is to make your goal, to raise the kind of man you wished their father was.  Too many woman, allow their son’s to go on shirking their responsibilities as men, and that bothers me to no end.  I know how hard it is for me to find a good man or a good mate, someone to share my life with and raise my family.  I feel that it’s my duty as a parent to make sure that I instill in my son the wherewithal, to make sure he is a good husband father and more importantly man. I don’t want to raise no baby-daddies.

For mothers with older children: What are some things you would have done different?

I wish I would have embarked on a career first. It was very hard for me to go back to work full time, once I had my son and put my energy into having a career, it wasn’t as much of a priority for me as going on my son’s school trips, and being there for him whenever he needed me.  I also  regret thing not having him in a loving marital relationship.

What goals have you set up for the children and yourself?

Well I’m looking to make the most out of my online magazine, and possibly go back to school to get my Masters degree or possibly PHD, and my son and I are looking forward to High School and college. He is so driven and focused, I love that about him, he is a Harvard Man, and it cracks me up.  He is a very talented actor, so I look forward to seeing him perform a lot more in the future.

Did you finish school?

Yes, I graduated from High School, by the time I had my son, but when he was 11 months old I went back to college and received my bachelor’s degree, in Media Relations. <<(AWESOME!)

Are you working? If not, what are you doing to support yourself and your child?

I’m not currently working a day job, but to support us I do any and everything,(smile), I’m a licensed cosmetologist (hair/make up), so I do private clients and video shoots, when available.  I have my real estate license, I free-lance doing PR projects and as a writer for different publications.  But my number one focus is my child.

www.thesinglegirlsguidetomen.com

Meet Our Single Father of the Month, Tony Lindsay of New York!

Tony is a single father living in New York and he had FULL CUSTODY of his beautiful boy Jordan. He also has a beautiful daughter Bayleigh, that lives overseas with her mom that he spends every summer with. He’s a General Contractor and Real Estate Investor. The name of his company is New Horizon Enterprises.

How old are the children?

My son is 2 and my daughter is 9.

What affect did the separation/ divorce have on the child(ren)?

My son had a hard time in the beginning, but I always showered him with enough love for the both of us, so he was fine.

What has been the most challenging for you thus far?

Honestly…I love every aspect of it, but if I had to say something, the challenge would be trying to foster a healthy relationship with his mother for his sake. I’m the only one trying.

Do you have any support system? If so, how do you utilize them?

I do have my family as a MORAL support system, but not financially, I’m pretty much on my own with that (smile)

How do you handle difficult decisions? (Do you discuss issues and concerns with your parents, other single fathers/ brother-friends?)

If there’s a problem, I’ll fix it. A person in my position must be able to make decisions independently without the outside influences because only I know ultimately what is best for my kids (My daughter’s mom, also) I do discuss things with close family members, like my sister and my parents, because they are the perfect model parents in my eyes, and they also happen to be some of the most intelligent and selfless people that I know.

How do you entertain the/your child(ren) and yourself?

I play and read to and with them. I like to introduce them to new things and teach them, they enjoy learning. My entertainment comes from having a great time with my family. I love family because at the end of the day, when there is nothing else there is your family, so I try to instill those values in my kids.

Is the other parent involved? If so, in what capacity? If not, why?

My son’s mom has visitation…THAT’S IT. My daughter lives with her mom and  she is a GREAT mom.

Are there any other male figures involved?

My  father (when he’s in town or we visit) and a few close friends.

Are you dating? If not, why not?

Dating, yes, but right now, it’s nothing serious. Right now I’m too focused on working to create a better life for my kids and, my son is a toddler, so he needs a lot of my time right now, so he comes first.

If yes, have they met your children yet?  How long do you think you should date, before you introduce your children to that special?

Yes. I find nothing wrong with the woman I’m dating meeting my kids…that’s the only way I will be able to tell how they will relate to her. I will not introduce her as a girlfriend or even behave in a manner that indicates a romantic relationship in front of them, so it would be just like they are being exposed to my friends that they have normal contact with. Social interaction is a normal element of growth and development, and I think it would be unhealthy to “hide” a woman I’m dating from them and then all of a sudden “spring” it on them after the decision has already been made that she is my woman. Now, I’m not saying that my kids decide who I will be romantically involved with, the way a person interacts with my kids is a crucial element of the type of relationship that we will have.

What advice would you give to other fathers about single fatherhood?

Enjoy it and never be afraid to be affectionate, especially with your sons. Tell them you love them every day, show them that being a man is far more than being “tough”. Strength lies within the ability to offer your heart, even when there’s a chance of it being broken. ( SBM LOVES THIS!)

What goals have you set up for the children and yourself?
I plan to send my son to the best private school that I can find and eventually, when my daughter is old enough to make her own decisions, I would love for her to move to the States with me. I’m also  working on establishing long term wealth for myself and my children(real estate investment and stock market trading) but I will also teach them the value of hard work and how to achieve and maintain a successful life.

Did you finish school?

Well, if you mean college, no.  I have pretty much been on my own since I was seventeen. I went to the University of South Florida in Tampa in pursuit of a career in occupational therapy. But, between the 2 jobs that I was working, and going to school full time, I got kind of burned out in the beginning of my third year(I know that’s terrible).

I jumped in my car, drove back to NY, and never looked back. I never thought I’d end up being a contractor or real estate investor, but life throws you curve-balls sometimes. I was always a “jack of all trades,” and I think my desire to do so many things also contributed to my frustration when I was a student (in addition to the 2-3 hours sleep per night I was getting(smile). But in the end, I’m happy with the choices I have made except one- which is to finish college and get my degree, but in an area more relative to my entrepreneurial endeavors. I want to be an example to my children. I always say…If you are going to start something…finish it. I live my life according to that ideology.

Are you working? If not, what are you doing to support yourself and your child(ren)?

I’m a real estate investor, contractor, and entrepreneur.

How do you feel about father’s who are not involved in their child’s life?

Those men are not men. However, I do understand that there are often situations outside of a man’s control that can sometimes prevent him from being involved in his child’s life, and I think that’s tragic…so many women nowadays need to start considering their children first before using them as tools to punish the fathers of those kids.

Thanks Tony! Your an AWESOME DAD!

Click here, to see if it’s offered in your state, while your on the site go to the “FAQ” page for more answers to your questions.

So looking through the NYS Department of Labor website, I came across a lot of information.

Did you know you can get a GRANT to pay for a school that will help you get the training you need to enhance your knowledge in your field?

In order for you to get approved, you first have to go to your local “One Stop Location”, which is basically an office that is set up to help you. There you’ll have to fill out forms, go to orientation and meet with Account Managers, Career Advisors and Trainers that will help you go through this procedure.

There is also the “599” program which help you collect unemployment while you are in school. In order for you to get approved for this program, you must be in school at least 12 hours a week.

These programs are excellent and you should take advantage of them if you want to improve YOU.

W.I.C provides supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk ( you still can get it if your not..lol)

It’s one of the best programs and I’ll tell you why. How many of us really take a look at what you eat and what’s IN what you eat? Well W.I.C helps you with this.  When I was pregnant with my first son, I applied for W.I.C, met with nutritionist, yes, you have to go through a process (nothing in life is easy) and he explained to me why you can only get certain items with W.I.C.

Most of the food items provide you with the nutrition and calories you need for you and your child. I did, however breastfed both my sons for about 10 months. (I think this is best way to go, the pain only lasted for the one week for me, and yes I sucked it up! It’s all for the kidsJ)

So for more information on a W.I.C center by you, check it out here

Times are hard and there is nothing wrong with asking for some help. Especially when the term “help” literally means  putting food in your child’s mouth.  Don’t be ashamed to go to your local Food Stamp Center and ask question to see if you qualify.

This program is available in ALL STATES.

Call you local office here to get more info.

The Children Scholarship Fund is geared to help parents who really can’t afford to pay for their child’s school and need help. 

Parents are encouraged to apply. It doesn’t hurt to try.

Check out your city here.

Why? You might ask, because NO INVESTORS will even talk to you unless you have a business plan! That’s right. Investors want to know why, what, where, and HOW MUCH. Just think of your business plan as your “directions to enterprise.”

In order for you to even start writing one, you must have a clear understanding of your business customers, strengths and competition. The plan should be a strong communication tool for your business and it will help you define your purpose, your competition, your management and personnel. The process of constructing a business plan can be a strong reality check: I’m I ready for this? Do I have the proper backing? I’m I ready to put all my life savings into this business?
Check out bplans.com and look at all the FREE, that’s right, FREE samples of business plans.