Single Parenting Today
statistics
The United States of America has the largest population of children under 18 who live with a single parent and no other adult (23%). This is more than three times the share of children in the world living with a single parent.
According to U. S. Census Data there are approximately 15.76 million children living with a single Mother, that is 80.7% of Single Parent households, with 3.23 million children living with a single Father.
2019 data documents 25.9% of Single Mothers were jobless for the entire year and 27.8% were food insecure. We know that these numbers increased in 2020 with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Poverty
3.33 million children living with a Single Mother are below the poverty level.
Poverty rates for Black female household have declined but are still at an astounding 31.7%.
Similarly, Hispanic female households are also at an extremely high level at 31.1%.
Data further states that in 2018 the median income for Single Mother households was around $45,128.00 which was significantly less than the median income of married couples which was around $93,654.00.
https://Singlemotherguide.com shares that "out of more than 10 million low-income working families with children, 39% were headed by single working mothers or about 4.1 million. The proportion is much higher among African Americans (65%), compared with whites (36%).
Only one third of single mothers received any child support, and the average amount these mothers received was only about $430 a month."
Healthcare
Single mothers are also the leading group of people to lack health care coverage, however, thanks to ObamaCare these numbers are greatly reduced to current data of around 13% of single mothers not having health insurance. Approximately 31% have Medicaid coverage.
Daycare
The cost of center based childcare averages 40% of the median income of Single Mothers nationally. In California the cost is a whopping 60.4% of the State's median income of a single mother.
Education
Nationally, 13.9% of Single Mothers have not completed High School.
34.3% have graduated with a college degree.
Paid Leave
Per https://singlemotherguide.com "the majority of single mothers in the United States are separated, divorced or widowed; and they work more hours and yet have higher poverty rates than single mothers in other high-income countries.
This is due to the fact that many employed single mothers are earning poverty wages. About 40% of U.S. single parents were employed in low-wage jobs and often had no access to paid leave.
Paid time off for new mothers
USA: 0 Days
Denmark: 18 Weeks
Sweden: 480 Days
These along with less generous “safety net programs” and wage inequality among women help explain the exceptionally high poverty rate for single mother families in the U.S."
Housing
Housing for Single Mothers continues to be a major challenge to provide adequate, affordable housing in a safe area with access to good schools is not affordable for most.
24% of the median income of a Single Mothers goes to housing compared to 19% of married couples income. (https://2.census.gov)
