Government Benefits Available to Texas Citizens

The TexCare Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is designed for families who earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid health care, yet cannot afford to buy private insurance. The parents in some of these families have jobs that do not offer...

The Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) is a utility assistance program designed to assist low income households in meeting their immediate energy needs and to encourage consumers to control energy costs for years to come through energy ed...

Head Start is a Federal program that promotes the school readiness of children from birth to age five from low-income families by enhancing their cognitive, social, and emotional development. Head Start programs provide a learning environment that su...

Medicaid is the State and Federal cooperative venture that provides medical coverage to eligible needy persons. The purpose of Medicaid in Texas is to improve the health of people in Texas who might oth...

The Texas Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Division administers the National School Lunch (NSLP) and School Breakfast Programs (SBP) for Public Schools. The goal of the NSLP and SBP is to safeguard the health and well being of school chil...

The Special Milk Program (SMP) reimburses contractors for milk that they serve to school and preschool aged children who do not otherwise participate in a Federal child nutrition meal service program. SMP clients include children who are enrolled in ...

The Texas Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a nutrition program that helps pregnant women, new mothers, and young children eat well, learn about nutrition, and stay healthy. Nutrition education and couns...

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) provides free, nutritious meals to children who might otherwise go hungry when the school year has ended or is closed. The meals are usually provided along with educational or recreational activities. The progra...

Many Texans have trouble making ends meet each month. After paying for rent, utilities, transportation, and child care, there's often little left over to buy nutritious food. But it doesn't have to be that way. Each month, hundreds of thousands of fa...

The Texas Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, formerly Aid to Families with Children (ADFC), is a support service for Texas families. The purpose of TANF is to provide financial and medical assistance to needy dependent children a...

Unemployment insurance benefits provide temporary financial assistance to workers unemployed through no fault of their own that meet Texas' eligibility requirements....

The Texas Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) assists with the weatherization of the homes of low-income elderly and disabled adults and families. The program is administered through contracts with an established network of 26 non-profit agencies...