Help single mothers advance their career
The cost of childcare in our service area is often more than $1,000 per month, per child. This massive expense can make it nearly impossible for single parents to maintain financial stability while furthering their education in pursuit of a reliable living-wage career.
In response to this need, United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg launched WomenRise, a program that provides financial assistance to help single moms cover the cost of childcare and other expenses while they work toward a post-secondary degree or credential.
Applications for the 2026-2027 academic year are open through May 31, 2026. For questions about the WomenRise program, please contact womenrise@yourunitedway.org.
WomenRise Program Requirements
- Be a single female head of household with custody of at least one child
- Be enrolled or have plans to enroll in an education or career training program that is at least 4 weeks and that results in a degree or credential
- Have an annual income of $65,000 or less
- Reside in the United Way Greater Richmond and Petersburg region (Charles City, Chesterfield, Colonial Heights, Dinwiddie, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, Hopewell, New Kent, Petersburg, Prince George, Powhatan, Richmond)
How to Apply
- Register for an account in Foundant, United Way’s grants portal: REGISTER HERE
- Click “Apply” under “2026 WomenRise Childcare Scholarship”
- Complete your application. You can save your application at any time by clicking “Save Application” at the bottom of the form
- When you complete the form, click “Submit Application” at the bottom of the form
If you have any questions about the process, email womenrise@yourunitedway.org.
Single mothers experience poverty at a higher rate than any other family structure, both here in the Greater Richmond and Petersburg region and across the country. In our service area, the poverty rate for single mother families is 29.7%, compared to 12.2% for single father families and 3.7% for married couple families.*
Education is one of the most effective pathways for a single mother to work her way out of poverty and provide more opportunities for herself and her family. However, the exorbitant cost of childcare can make it impossible for a working single mother to cover her family’s basic needs and pursue a post-secondary degree or credential.
That’s where WomenRise comes in. WomenRise fills a clear need in a single mother’s life by relieving the burden of childcare costs and empowering women to attain the education needed to provide more opportunities for their families.
*If individuals are married but not living together, they are counted in either male or female householder families. Percentages do not indicate margin of error, which ranges from +/-0/5% to +/-7.3% based on population group.
WomenRise scholars are accepted on an annual basis to local single mothers with an application process every summer. Financial assistance is provided directly to approved childcare providers and other vendors during the time the mother is enrolled in classes or a training program.
WomenRise includes access to our Women United giving community members for support and encouragement as well as a set of partners and resources within the United Way network.
Help More Moms: Give Today
Your support determines the number of WomenRise scholars and the amount of each scholarship. Make a gift to United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg to help us grow this important new program.
There is no gift too small! Every act of generosity makes a difference. Gifts of $1,000 or more will qualify for enrollment in our Women United giving community, which serves as the backbone group of planners and leaders for WomenRise.
Use the link below to Donate to the program. Use the drop down menu on our donation page to designate to the WomenRise program.