One Parent Families: A Social and Economic Profile

This paper uses US census data to document the extent to which one parent families tend to have social and economic characteristics that compare unfavorably with those of 2 parent families. By most objective measurements the vast majority of one parent families hold a disadvantageous position in society relative to other family groups. They are characterized by a high rate of poverty a high percentage of minority representation relatively low education and a high rate of mobility. In short as a group they generally have little equity or stature in American society and constitute a group with unusually pressing social and economic needs. This paper demonstrates that the one parent experience is much more extensive than is ordinarily thought. 1 out of every 5 families with children under 18 years old in 1984 was a one parent family up from 1 of every 10 in 1970. There were 3.2 million one parent families in 1970 and 6.7 million in 1984. In 1984 88% of one parent families were mother-child families. Mother-child families are increasingly younger. The median age of mothers maintaining families alone dropped from 37.2 years in 1970 to 34.6 years in 1984--the same median age as that for mothers in two parent families in 1984. One of the ways in which fathers who maintain a family alone are much better situated than their female counterparts to realize economic security is their higher level of educational attainment. Men who maintain one parent families are much better situated economically than their female counterparts. The number of one parent families demonstrate that the magnitude of the problem of providing assistance to the families in need is great.