Made Alive

Resources / Find resources

Resources in Wisconsin

66 listings. Please call ahead — hours and services change.

Adoption

Free / Subsidized Childcare

  • Acelero Learning Wisconsin — Head Start

    Head Start grantee in Milwaukee and Racine counties: Early Head Start for children six weeks to three years at select locations, and Head Start preschool for four- and five-year-olds. Centres are open Monday to Friday; hours vary.

  • YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee — Early Childhood Education

    State-licensed child care for children 6 weeks to 5 years. The centres accept state and county child care assistance, including Wisconsin Shares. The Northside centre (1350 W. North Avenue) has a 5-Star YoungStar rating and offers Early Head Start programming.

  • Head Start & Early Head Start

    Nationwide

    Free preschool, child care and family support for eligible families. Find a program near you online or by phone (Mon–Fri 8–6 ET).

Churches / Baby Closets

  • Charis Pregnancy and Family Help Center

    Free, confidential pregnancy help in Fond du Lac, with material assistance for a new baby's needs such as diapers, bottles, clothing and prenatal vitamins, plus education and options counseling.

Clothing / Supplies

  • Charis Pregnancy and Family Help Center

    Free, confidential pregnancy help in Fond du Lac, with material assistance for a new baby's needs such as diapers, bottles, clothing and prenatal vitamins, plus education and options counseling.

Domestic Violence

  • End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin

    Statewide

    Wisconsin's statewide coalition against domestic violence. Its Find Help Near You directory lists local domestic-violence programs across the state.

  • love is respect (National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline)

    Nationwide

    Free, confidential 24/7 help for teens and young adults in unhealthy or abusive relationships. Text LOVEIS to 22522, or chat online.

  • National Domestic Violence Hotline

    Nationwide

    Confidential support 24/7 for anyone experiencing abuse.

  • StrongHearts Native Helpline

    Nationwide

    Free, confidential 24/7 support for Native Americans and Alaska Natives affected by domestic and sexual violence, by phone, text or chat.

  • The Deaf Hotline

    Nationwide

    24/7 domestic-violence support for Deaf, DeafBlind and hard-of-hearing survivors, by videophone, chat or email (deafhelp@thehotline.org).

Employment

  • Dress for Success Racine

    Professional attire for job interviews and career advancement support for women in the Racine area, through referral agencies.

  • Goodwill North Central Wisconsin — Employment Services

    Career EXCELerate, a no-cost career training program with industry-recognized certifications (healthcare, skilled trades, retail) and support through job placement, plus Employment Support Services and financial wellness help. (Goodwill of Southeastern Wisconsin's site, goodwillsew.com, now redirects to goodwillgreatermc.org, which blocked automated reads.)

  • Job Center of Wisconsin

    Statewide

    Wisconsin's state job-search website from the Department of Workforce Development: job listings, résumé posting and labor-market information.

  • American Job Centers (CareerOneStop)

    Nationwide

    Free local help with job searches, training and career services. Find your nearest American Job Center online or by phone.

  • Dress for Success

    Nationwide

    Professional clothing and career support for women. Find your local Dress for Success on the website.

  • Easterseals — Employment Services

    Nationwide

    Job training and employment support for people with disabilities through local Easterseals affiliates.

  • Goodwill Career Centers

    Nationwide

    Free job training, career coaching, résumé and interview help at local Goodwill career centers.

Potential Financial Assistance

  • The Salvation Army — Wisconsin and Upper Michigan Division

    Statewide

    Emergency rent and utility assistance to keep families who are struggling to pay basic bills in their homes.

  • Catholic Charities USA (Find a Local Agency)

    Nationwide

    Find the Catholic Charities agency serving your area for emergency, family and housing help.

  • Modest Needs

    Nationwide

    Small one-time grants for working individuals and families facing an emergency expense. Apply online.

  • Society of St. Vincent de Paul

    Nationwide

    Parish volunteers who help neighbors in need. The national office does not give direct help: ask your nearest Catholic parish for its St. Vincent de Paul conference.

  • The Salvation Army

    Nationwide

    Emergency rent, utility and other assistance through local Salvation Army offices nationwide.

Food Programs

  • Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin

    Food bank serving neighbors facing hunger across 35 counties, with a pantry locator, FoodShare resources and food programs. Milwaukee campus: 1700 W. Fond du Lac Avenue (414-931-7400); Appleton campus: 2911 W. Evergreen Drive (920-202-3690).

  • Hunger Task Force

    Milwaukee's free and local food bank, which also runs federal nutrition programs such as the senior food box (CSFP) and WIC.

  • Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin

    Food bank working to end hunger in southern Wisconsin, with help finding food and FoodShare.

  • Feeding America (Find Your Local Food Bank)

    Nationwide

    Enter your ZIP code to find the food bank, pantries and meal programs serving your community.

  • USDA National Hunger Hotline (Hunger Free America)

    Nationwide

    Connects you with nearby food banks, meal sites and programs like SNAP and WIC. Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–8 p.m. ET. En español: 1-877-842-6273.

Health Assistance

  • Access Community Health Centers

    Madison-area community health centre (medical and dental clinics in Madison, Sun Prairie, Dodgeville and more) with a Sliding Fee Discount based on household income and family size. Unborn babies count as family members.

  • Progressive Community Health Centers

    Milwaukee community health centre with three neighborhood locations offering primary care, behavioral health, dental and walk-in appointments, with a Sliding Fee Program.

  • BadgerCare Plus (Wisconsin Medicaid)

    Statewide

    Wisconsin's full-coverage Medicaid program. There's no open enrollment period: you can apply at any time through ACCESS. ForwardHealth Member Services: 800-362-3002.

  • Nurse-Family Partnership — Wisconsin

    Statewide

    A registered nurse visits expectant parents at home during pregnancy and the child's first years, about two and a half years in all. Wisconsin programs include Public Health Madison and Dane County, Kenosha County, Sauk County, Juneau-Adams and the Western Wisconsin NFP Consortium. Nurse-Family Partnership is now run by Changent.

  • Abortion Pill Reversal hotline

    Nationwide

    Started a chemical abortion and regret it? Call as soon as you can.

Housing Assistance & Shelters

  • Community Advocates

    Milwaukee agency whose help includes the Family Support Center Emergency Shelter, the Milwaukee Women's Center domestic-violence shelter, rent assistance, energy assistance, tenant-landlord help and homeless outreach. The Rental Resource Center accepts walk-ins Monday to Friday, 10 am to 4 pm.

  • Family Promise

    Nationwide

    Prevention, shelter and housing help for families facing homelessness, through nearly 200 local affiliates. Find yours on the website.

Infant & Baby Equipment

  • Hannah Center — Caring Closet (Marshfield)

    Free essential items for families in Central Wisconsin with no application and no income verification: children's clothing (sizes 0–7), baby furniture such as cribs, bassinets, high chairs and strollers, diapers and wipes, formula, gently used car seats and toys. Call Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to request items.

  • New Beginnings — Free Thrift Store (Dodgeville)

    A free thrift store run by volunteers in Dodgeville: essential items at no cost and no questions asked, including formula and diapers. Open Saturdays 8:00 am to noon.

Mental Health & Postpartum Assistance

  • Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin

    Green Bay-based agency offering a counseling clinic, crisis services and parenting classes and support groups (many free, several with free onsite childcare), including a breastfeeding support group for pregnant and nursing moms and workshops on discipline and behavior.

  • Nurse-Family Partnership — Wisconsin

    Statewide

    A registered nurse visits expectant parents at home during pregnancy and the child's first years, about two and a half years in all. Wisconsin programs include Public Health Madison and Dane County, Kenosha County, Sauk County, Juneau-Adams and the Western Wisconsin NFP Consortium. Nurse-Family Partnership is now run by Changent.

  • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

    Nationwide

    Call or text 988 any time if you are in crisis.

  • National Maternal Mental Health Hotline

    Nationwide

    Call or text 1-833-TLC-MAMA, free and confidential, for support before, during and after pregnancy.

  • Postpartum Support International HelpLine

    Nationwide

    Support and local resources for postpartum depression and anxiety.

Parenting Classes

  • Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin

    Green Bay-based agency offering a counseling clinic, crisis services and parenting classes and support groups (many free, several with free onsite childcare), including a breastfeeding support group for pregnant and nursing moms and workshops on discipline and behavior.

  • Children's Wisconsin — Family Resource Centers

    Statewide

    Parenting classes, parent-child activities and learning, counseling and community resources for parents and caregivers, offered through Family Resource Centers across the state (including Eau Claire and Janesville) and with local partner agencies.

  • Parents as Teachers

    Nationwide

    Free home visiting and parent education for expecting families and parents of young children, through local affiliates.

  • Triple P – Positive Parenting Program

    Nationwide

    Self-paced online parenting courses (also in Spanish). Many states and local agencies offer them free.

Pregnancy Centers

  • Care Net Milwaukee

    Free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds and consultations in Milwaukee, plus free maternity clothes, baby gift bags, diapers, wipes and baby clothing for clients, and a weekly Mom's Group. Call or text 414-962-2212.

  • Women's Care Center — Madison and Milwaukee

    Pregnancy centres led by women in Madison (3711 Orin Rd, 608-241-8100) and Milwaukee (634 West Historic Mitchell Street, 414-645-4050, and North Farwell Avenue).

  • Women's Support Center

    Free pregnancy services in Milwaukee, including ultrasounds by a registered sonogram nurse, with compassionate guidance and no cost or pressure. Text 414-934-8888.

  • American Pregnancy Association

    Nationwide

    Free, confidential pregnancy helpline and a search for local pregnancy centers, adoption agencies and maternity homes.

  • Care Net Pregnancy Decision Line

    Nationwide

    Free, confidential pregnancy decision coaching by phone, and a map of 1,200+ affiliated pregnancy centers.

  • Heartbeat International (Worldwide Directory of Pregnancy Help)

    Nationwide

    Search 7,000+ life-affirming pregnancy help locations by state, city or ZIP.

  • Option Line

    Nationwide

    Call or text 24/7 to talk about a pregnancy and be connected with a pregnancy center near you.

Special Needs Assistance

  • Disability Rights Wisconsin

    Statewide

    Nonprofit legal advocacy and rights protection for adults and children with disabilities across Wisconsin, including barriers to a free and appropriate education, K-12 special education and transition services. It cannot take every case and sets priorities each year.

  • Easterseals Wisconsin

    Statewide

    Programs helping people with disabilities live independently since 1926, including camp and respite services for children and adults with disabilities throughout Wisconsin (running since 1938) and Veterans Family Camp.

  • Family Voices of Wisconsin

    Statewide

    Wisconsin's Family-to-Family Health Information Center: it helps families of children and youth with special health care needs or disabilities navigate health care and community supports, through learning sessions, plain-language fact sheets and resources.

  • WI FACETS

    Statewide

    Wisconsin's resource for families of children with disabilities and its Parent Training and Information Center: Help Desk Specialists answer questions and concerns about special education, and all services are free of charge.

  • Easterseals

    Nationwide

    Services for children and adults with disabilities and their families. Find your local Easterseals affiliate.

  • Parent to Parent USA

    Nationwide

    Matches parents of children with disabilities or special health needs with a trained support parent. Find your state program on the map.

  • The Arc

    Nationwide

    Support and advocacy for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, through 549 chapters.

Support for Fathers

Transportation

  • Wisconsin Medicaid Non-Emergency Medical Transportation

    Statewide

    Free rides to medical appointments for Wisconsin Medicaid and BadgerCare Plus members who have no other way to get there: a scheduled ride, or gas money (a mileage reimbursement) if you can drive yourself. Book, change or cancel trips by calling 866-907-1493 (TTY 711).

  • Family Promise

    Nationwide

    Local Family Promise affiliates help families facing homelessness, including gas cards, transit passes and car-related help where available.

  • Medicaid rides to medical appointments (NEMT)

    Nationwide

    Medicaid covers free rides to covered appointments for members with no other way to get there. Call your Medicaid health plan, ideally two days ahead.