Are you able to lower or cut back on expenses at all, like gas, brand-name food/stuff, phone bill? I understand how you feel about the CPS thing, sorry about your situation. In Canada, food banks are increasingly popular even with middle-class people so don't feel bad. If you know any farmers or people that grow their own food, could you barter or trade for their fresh produce/meat? You mentioned that you homestead, what do you grow? Do you raise animals? Maybe you can sell things that you don't use anymore?

I decided to post this in the anonymous section because I figured I'd get more replies if people could remain anonymous.

Does your family receive food stamps? Or I think it might call it the SNAP program now?

The cost of food is ridiculously high, especially in the small rural towns in my area and wages have not gone up. For the first time, we are considering applying for food assistance. My husband does not make enough at his job to support our family. Another job for him is out of the question because he works long, physical hours at his job. I work 2 businesses from home while homeschooling and taking care of our homestead, and it's just too much. I'm falling behind with schooling, am anxious all the time, and we are expecting a baby in April. 

We hesitate because we don't want to expose our family to any sort of governmental reach, but somethings got to give.

Would you do it? It seems like quite a few traditional Catholic families would do this since mom is usually at home and there are lots of kids. But I don't hear it spoken of very often.

Catholic charities does food drop off's once a month. We did that a couple times, but the food is so unhealthy so I stopped doing that.

We haven't had fluff in our budget for a decade in a half. We don't order doordash, we don't eat out, we have 0 "subscriptions" or recurring payments for music/TV/entertainment/news, we don't drink coffee or alcohol (and if we did, we would do it cheap, the "grocery store" variety vs. Starbucks or bars), we don't smoke, we don't buy anything name brand, we already garage sale/accept hand-me-downs for clothing wherever possible, etc.

So don't assume a given family has fluff just waiting to be cut.

"You need $50 man? Just give up starbucks for a week lol!"

Uh, I could give up Starbucks for 3 years and have exactly $0 saved up.

We've spent $28,000 on braces for 4 of our kids so far. Of the remaining 5, at least one of them doesn't need them. So we might have to spend about as much again before we're done.
We don't even get a *discount* for braces. Medicaid/CHIP doesn't pay for orthodontics -- not even when it's medically necessary. Apparently there was a ton of abuse (maybe just in Texas?) so now we're paying the price, literally. They were giving out braces like candy, since the Gov't paid for it, and the orthodontist made money. It was a huge moral hazard. So they clamped down on it. So now, even if a child REALLY NEEDS braces, unless he has teeth literally growing out of his cheek or something, no discount on braces.

We don't do braces for "perfect teeth" -- it's more about medical necessity in my clan. Cramped mouth, teeth over other teeth, danger of tooth decay/impossible to keep them clean, chewing problems, breathing issues, etc. You'd think they'd cover it.

And don't get me started on homeschooling costs.

I don't know, I might just be paranoid, but I worry that a family with children that receives food stamps might be put on some sort of list that makes them more prone to visits from the CPS.

And I will also admit, I fear the scorn from the community. I know this is not a legitimate reason not to do it, and it wouldn't stop me, but it's an aggravation. We live in a small town. I can just hear it now. Why don't they just put their kids in school, she's too lazy to work, why should we have to pay for their food, etc etc etc.