material hardship in single-mother families
an article by Mary Keegan Eamon and Chi-Fang Wu (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) published in Children and Youth Services Review Volume 33 Issue 2 (February 2011)
Abstract
Using data from the 2004 panel of the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), this study examined relationships between employment problems and four types of material hardship among single-mother families. Although a bill-paying hardship was the most common hardship reported by the mothers (41%), 38% of the families experienced a health hardship, 33% suffered a food hardship, and 25% had a housing hardship. The multivariate results indicate that compared with families whose mothers were adequately employed, families whose mothers were unemployed/had involuntary job gaps and were underemployed had heightened risks of experiencing bill-paying, health, and housing hardships. Only unemployment/involuntary job gaps was related to having a food hardship. A number of other factors associated with experiencing material hardship also were identified. Finally, implications for social work practice and social policy are discussed.
Hazel’s comment:
Some of my close friends are aware that I spent two periods of my life as a single parent. Initially with two small children and later with those plus two others when they were in their teens. Neither time was easy and I can identify with the bill-paying problem – if it hadn't been for the support of family and friends I’d have gone under so how those without this social support network cope with the situation I don’t know. Government/statutory support in the form of benefits is, of course, of practical assistance but does not provide any emotional support.
