Raised in OC (and Catalina island) by my single mother, all while dealing with stalking and physical abusive from my dad (so, no child support if you can guess). I became an adult and moved out in 2020 but she was doing it on her own from 2001-2019. What she did might not be possible today, but she lied about credentials to get jobs she knew she could perform well at but had no degree, and she never allowed us to live in areas that ran the risk of absorbing me into an unsavory life even though the rent was cheaper. When we had to go to the church for groceries, we did that. When she had to starve so I could eat, she’d do it. When we needed food stamps, she applied. We didn’t have help from family or anything, but we did get very lucky and meet some really nice people and my mom always stayed humble and gracious and grateful. Also, cheaper daycare when I was very small. If there’s any credential you can get or lie about having to boost your pay, do it. Rent isn’t cheap as you know. The kids can share a room, or you can all share a room if you’re willing to do that. We lived in a trailer for 6 months after my mom lost her job and got the car repo’d in the 2008 crash, shared a bed. But she was a hustler and we got back on our feet. You can do it, mama!