single mother of 3-year-old twins seeking advice

This varies based on where you are, but in many places social services no longer does voluntary temporary placements, and particularly not for that extended a period of time. You also want to think about how it would be for your kids to be moved to another family and lose you, even if only temporarily, as their everyday parent. Then to lose the stability of the family they are placed with to come back to you. I can't imagine how hard it must be to be responsible for someone else when you have never had to be responsible for yourself, but you may need to learn how to do both at once. I can't tell from your post if you receive public assistance or not, but if so I would suggest you talk to your caseworker about getting help. In terms of mental health services, there are agencies that can provide services even if you don't have funds. If you talk to your primary care doctor and tell her or him about your struggles, you should be able to get a referral to a program that can help. If you are looking at going to school so that you can provide a better life for yourself and your children, there is financial aid available and many schools have family housing as well as daycares on campus. It may seem like you don't have any options, but there may be more options than you think. Even if it is difficult, those options could help you keep your family together.