Legal disclaimer: This article provides general information only and is not legal advice. Texas laws and benefit programs change regularly. Consult a licensed Texas attorney and verify program details directly with state agencies before relying on this information.
Single Mom Resources in Texas: Child Support, Custody, and Assistance Programs
Texas has specific family law rules that differ meaningfully from many other states — including its status as a community property state and its approach to conservatorship (what Texas calls “custody”). Here’s what you need to know if you’re navigating single parenting in Texas.
Texas Child Support
How child support is calculated in Texas: Texas uses a percentage-of-income model based on the paying parent’s net resources. General guidelines under Texas Family Code:
– 1 child: 20% of net resources
– 2 children: 25%
– 3 children: 30%
– 4 children: 35%
– 5+ children: not less than 40%
These percentages apply up to a net resource cap that is updated periodically — verify the current cap at the Texas Attorney General’s website.
To establish child support in Texas: File through the Texas Attorney General’s Child Support Division (free for custodial parents) or through the family court with or without an attorney.
Source: Texas Attorney General Child Support Division — verify current guidelines at oag.texas.gov/child-support
Texas Custody Laws (Conservatorship)
Texas uses the term “conservatorship” rather than “custody,” and “possession” rather than “visitation.” Key Texas-specific points:
- Joint Managing Conservatorship (JMC) is the default in Texas — both parents typically share legal decision-making, even when one parent has primary physical possession
- Standard Possession Order (SPO): Texas has a default possession schedule (Standard Possession Order) that applies unless the court finds it’s not in the child’s best interest — this typically gives the non-primary parent the first, third, and fifth weekends, alternating holidays, and extended summer time
- Parental Relocation: Texas requires advance notice (currently 60 days) before relocating with a child out of a geographic area specified in the custody order
Texas State Assistance Programs
SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program): Administered by Texas Health and Human Services — apply at yourtexasbenefits.com
Medicaid and CHIP: Texas Medicaid has more limited eligibility than some states; children may qualify for CHIP when a parent doesn’t qualify for Medicaid — apply at chipmedicaid.com or yourtexasbenefits.com
TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families): Texas’s cash assistance program has among the more restrictive eligibility requirements in the country; benefit amounts are lower than the national average — apply through Texas Health and Human Services
Childcare Assistance: Texas Workforce Solutions provides childcare financial assistance for working or job-training parents — apply through your local Workforce Solutions office (texasworkforce.org)
Texas Women, Infants and Children (WIC): Nutrition support for pregnant women, new mothers, and children under 5 — apply through local WIC clinics at texaswic.org
Texas Legal Aid Resources
- Texas Legal Services Center: tlsc.org — statewide
- Lone Star Legal Aid: lonestarlegal.org — serves eastern and central Texas
- Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas: lanwt.org — serves northern and western Texas
- Texas Law Help: texaslawhelp.org — statewide self-help resource with family law forms and guides
- Texas Advocacy Project: texasadvocacyproject.org — legal resources specifically for DV and sexual assault survivors
Texas Housing Assistance
- Texas Rent Relief program successors and county-specific rental assistance — check with your local community action agency
- Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers through your local Public Housing Authority
- Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation (TSAHC): tsahc.org — homebuyer assistance programs for income-eligible buyers including single parents
A Note on Texas as a Community Property State
Texas is one of nine community property states, meaning property and debt acquired during a marriage is generally considered jointly owned. This has significant implications in divorce — most debt acquired during the marriage is community debt regardless of whose name it’s in, which is one reason hidden or unexpected debt discovered after a Texas divorce can create joint liability even when assigned to one spouse in the decree.