| The growth in the number of children that live in | | | | spending policies. With many single parent families |
| single parent homes has instigated the need for | | | | relying on one salary to address all of their financial |
| policies and programs to improve the status of | | | | needs, many of them are in need of additional |
| single-parent families. Single parents confront tensions | | | | governmental supports and entitlements. Research |
| that arise from their dual responsibility of raising their | | | | however indicates that wages and income support |
| children while simultaneously earning a living. The | | | | for impoverished families in the United States is lower |
| correlation between single parenting and poverty is | | | | than they are in many other developed countries. |
| clear. Furthermore, single parents are more likely to | | | | Prior to 1915, there were no social programs in place |
| face social isolation due to stigmatization. Many single | | | | to provide aide to single mothers. Provisions for |
| parents also experience feelings of stress, frustration, | | | | women in crisis were only offered through private |
| incompetence, hopelessness and helplessness | | | | maternity homes that assisted at risk women and |
| The poverty level of children living in single parent | | | | children without governmental cash incentives. |
| homes is significantly greater than that of children | | | | Welfare programs were initiated in the mid-1930's for |
| living in two-parent homes, and continues to increase. | | | | the purpose of providing resources and income |
| Furthermore, children living with a parent younger | | | | assistance to impoverished individuals. Aid to Families |
| than twenty-five years old are even more likely to | | | | with Dependent Children (AFDC) was later developed |
| live in poverty and be dependent on social support. | | | | to specifically address the financial needs of mothers |
| Whether single motherhood is the result of family | | | | with small children while empowering them to seek |
| separation or unwed parenthood, it often results in | | | | education or vocational training and subsequently |
| considerable economic hardship for the mother and | | | | become self-sufficient. Based on the perception that |
| her children. | | | | women who were recipients of government aid |
| Child neglect derives from some single parents' | | | | were becoming "welfare queens" and not moving |
| display of frustration due to self-defeating thoughts. | | | | towards self-sufficiency, significant cut-backs were |
| Efforts to address the financial struggles of | | | | initiated in the 1980's, resulting in increased poverty |
| neglecting single parents in the absence of other | | | | among single-parent families. |
| forms of appropriate support will not be effective, | | | | There are mixed reviews regarding the efficiency of |
| but will instead increase their feelings of hopelessness | | | | the social welfare program in the United States. |
| and powerlessness. While it is important that poor | | | | Although AFDC provides less than half of the income |
| single parents receive financial support, they also | | | | needed to support a family, some suggest that it |
| need effective rehabilitative and support services in | | | | cushions poverty, and allows mothers to stay at |
| order to increase their level of self-sufficiency. | | | | home to care for their children. There are those who |
| Programs designed to support the needs of single | | | | nevertheless believe that welfare reform has |
| parent families should involve strategies to address | | | | contributed to significant improvements in child living |
| the stressors and frustrations that the parents | | | | arrangements from 1996-2000 by increasing the |
| encounter. | | | | self-sufficiency of mothers and creating incentives for |
| In the United States, single mothers experience | | | | couples to get married. Others argue that the current |
| greater poverty not only because of lack of | | | | welfare policy encourages dependence on cash |
| education or skills, but also because of economic and | | | | entitlements and does not support the well-being of |
| social inequality that stems from deficient social | | | | mothers and their children. |