Let’s talk about single moms and money. Everywhere you look you see the statistics on single moms and money. They are on welfare, raising children alone and the pay disparity between men and women has been well documented.
Today’s economy is characterized by underemployment and low wage work. The plight of the single mom, single parent household is not getting any easier.
Who are the Single Parents
According to KidsCount.org, more than 1/3 of today’s children are being raised by a single parent. In addition, research shows 32% of the single-parent households are living in poverty versus 7% of two-parent families.
The literature documenting the detrimental effects of growing up poor is sweeping and strong. Some of the many challenges identified include: academic deficits, reduced access to safe communities and quality enrichment activities, and a heightened risk of physical, behavioral and emotional issues.
According to the Census Bureau, 4 out of 5 of these single parent households are single moms. Approximately, 50% of single parent households only have one child.
Emma at WealthySingleMommy.com has compiled a comprehensive list of statistics on single moms. Historically, single moms began in committed relationship and it was only as those relationships failed that they became single moms. Whereas today’s Millenials are choosing single motherhood from the beginning.
Single Moms Income
The disparity in the income and debt load carried by single moms in the United States is not necessarily tied to a higher rate of unemployment. According to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report released in April of this year, in 2017 only 9.0 percent of families maintained by women had an unemployed member. Single moms are working!
However, when you consider families with two parents, 61.9% of those families are supported by two incomes (both parents working.)
VeryWellFamily.com also points out that the media victimizes single moms. But the reality is that the majority of single moms are doing it without government assistance. They are working, supporting their children through gainful employment.
Single Moms get Child Support
According to this 2015 United States Census Bureau report, only 7 out of 10 single parents received some sort of child support. Less than half of these recipients received all of the court ordered support.
Even more concerning is that the average amount received by the custodial parent per year was only $3,447. When I consider the cost of raising a children in a year…$3,447 isn’t even a drop in the bucket!
Now this number does not take into account, provision of health benefits for children or other types of support (non-monetary.) But, in general, single mom’s are not getting financial assistance in the form of child support to help support their children.
What Can a Single Mom Do
Emma at Wealthy Single Mom suggests these 14 steps for a single mom to get out to debt. This step by step list provides an easy to follow plan to get started on getting out of debt.
The Single Mothers Guide has compiled a list of grants available specifically for single moms. Many of the assistance is comprised of federal grants in the for of government assistance or grants for going back to school.
Then most importantly, use the resources on hand wisely. And isn’t that the point of this site. Guiding parents to make wise use of their resources. To provide materialistically and otherwise for their children as frugally as possible or maybe just more wisely.
