Many single moms struggle to afford everything they need to raise a child. If you are among them and want to find a way to afford child care, you should consider your options. There are more than you might think.

One option is getting state aid. You may be leery of applying in case you do not qualify, but most single mothers are eligible to get at least some form of help. You can usually get food stamps or at least WIC to help you pay for food, which would free up some money to pay for child care. Sometimes you can even get a voucher that offers you a certain amount of money every month to pay for daycare.

You can also try to find a job that offers child care. Admittedly, these are few and far between, but more companies are becoming parent-friendly and include free or cheap daycare to attract quality employees. If you go to school, you can look for this same feature since some schools now offer affordable or free child care.

Another option is finding cheap daycare, such as a mother who watches her own kids already and would just like to make a little extra money from home. You may have friends who offer this benefit for a much lower price than others would, so ask around. In fact, you may even be able to trade services, such as cleaning a house for free daycare.

If you prefer to rely only on yourself, you can always get a payday advance. This is best when you will have the money for daycare next week, but need it now to pay your share. This may be the only way to keep your child in daycare when you are low on funds, so consider it.