Department of Human Services of Memphis, TN

Department of Human Services – Shelby County

The Department is responsible for administering numerous services throughout Tennessee, including Families First, the state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, Food Stamps (now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP), Child Support, TennCare, and Child Care Assistance.  See more detail below.

URL:  https://www.tn.gov/humanservices.html

Address:  2003 Corporate Avenue, Memphis, TN 38132

Phone:  (901) 320-7200

Hours:  M-F 7:00 AM-4:30 PM

 

Families First (TANF)

Provides assistance to families who have children, and are experiencing financial difficulties. These benefits are time-limited to 60 months in a participant’s lifetime.

The Families First program emphasizes work, training, and personal responsibility.

To be eligible for the program, participants must agree to follow a Personal Responsibility Plan (PRP). As part of the PRP, the participant agrees to:

• Make sure their children receive immunization shots and health checks.
• Make sure their children attend school, including kindergarten regularly.
• Cooperate with child support requirements.

Agree to work or attend work preparation activity, if not exempt.

URL:  https://www.tn.gov/humanservices/for-families/families-first-tanf/applying-for-services.html

Phone Number:  (901) 344-5040

 

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Food Stamps

Provides nutritional assistance benefits to children and families, the elderly, the disabled, unemployed and working families. SNAP helps supplement monthly food budgets of families with low-income to buy the food they need to maintain good health and allow them to direct more of their available income toward essential living expenses. The primary goals of the program are to alleviate hunger and malnutrition and to improve nutrition and health in eligible households. DHS has a dual focus on alleviating hunger and establishing or re-establishing self-sufficiency.

YOU MAY NEED PAPERS THAT SHOW:

• Social Security Number
• Your Identification (Example: driver’s license, school ID with photo, Passport, Resident Alien Card, I-94 card, voter’s registration card)
• Where you live (Example: lease agreement, utility bill, phone bill, or driver’s license with your address on it)
• Income (Example: check stubs, employer statement, award letters)
• Shelter costs (Example: mortgage payments, property tax, homeowner’s insurance, rent receipt, lease agreement)
• Costs of utilities (Example: electric bill, water bill, gas bill)

URL:  https://faonlineapp.dhs.tn.gov/

 

Smart Steps Child Care Payment Assistance

You may be eligible for Smart Steps Child Care Payment Assistance if you meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Must be employed no less than 30 hours per week, or be enrolled and attending a post-secondary education program full-time, or a combination of both.
• Must have a child between ages six (6) weeks old through five (5) years old.

• Household Size	Maximum Gross Monthly Income
  2	$3,228
  3	$3,988
  4	$4,805
  5	$5,574
  6	$6,343
  7	$6,487
  8	$6,631

TennCare

Call 1-800-318-2596 to apply directly over the phone or to check your eligibility.  You can also apply at your local DHS office.

 

URL:  https://www.tn.gov/humanservices/for-families/child-care-services.html

Application:  http://tn.gov/humanservices/topic/child-care-services  (Opens as a Word Document)

Childcare Center Near You:  https://www.tn.gov/humanservices/for-families/child-care-services/find-child-care.html