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In 1995, there were 68.4 million children under 18 years old living in 37.2 million family groups. Nearly 28% of these children were living in the 11.5 million family groups with only one parent present. In 87% of these single-parent groups, the mother was present; and 72% of the children in these cases lived in families with incomes of less than $25,000. In contrast, for families with two parents present, only 20% of the children were living in households with incomes of less than $25,000; and 45% of the children were living in families with incomes over $50,000.
Single parenthood--especially when the parent is a young woman--can increase the risk of poverty since the family is relying on the earning abilities of only one parent, and child-rearing responsibilities limit the parent's ability to work outside the home and to further her education. At least one-third of the births in the United States are to unmarried women, many of whom became pregnant as teenagers. These young females with children--especially when they are disadvantaged in other ways--form the core of the rising problem of child poverty in the United States. In practice, single parents--most of whom are mothers--often turn to their parents for support. As a result, more than 2.5 million U.S. children today are living in households maintained by grandparents with single parents present.1
The most serious problem among families with one parent present, especially if that parent is a woman, appears to be poverty. Children growing up in poor, single-parent families often start out with socioeconomic disadvantages that can predispose them to lower educational achievement rates, lower incomes as adults, and a greater chance of forming single-parent families themselves. A rising trend in the percentage of children living in one-parent households suggests that for many of these children, there will be significant economic and social burdens in the years to come.
Note:
1. U.S. Census Bureau, economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Link(s) to be added, when feasible, to data at level of detail suitable
for use at the community level.
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http://www.sdi.gov/indicators/lc_parnt.htm Last Modified: May 14, 2002 |