Single parent - wikipedia Single parent `` Single father '' redirects here. For other uses, see Single Father ( disambiguation ). `` Single mother '' redirects here. For the Canadian rock band, see Single Mothers ( band ). `` Single Parents '' redirects here. For the upcoming ABC television series, see Single Parents ( TV series ). The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate. ( April 2012 ) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( May 2018 ) A single parent is a parent that parents alone without the other parent 's support, meaning this particular parent is the only parent to the child, responsible for all financial, material, and emotional needs. It means there is an absence of the other parent as opposed to a co-parent, meaning that the parent is not the only parent regardless of whether or not they are a couple. Of course, this definition is loosely true. There is no true definition of what `` single parent '' means and is more based on opinions. Sometimes, one finds themselves in a single - parent family structure that has arisen due to death of the partner, intentional artificial insemination, or unplanned pregnancy. Historically, the death of a partner was a major cause of single parenting. Single parenting can also result from the breakup or divorce of coupled parents who leave and choose to not co-parent, thus leaving one parent to raise and support the child on their own. Many people confuse single parenting with co-parenting : co-parenting involves both parents playing a role of supporting and raising the child, rather than one parent -- as is the case with single parenting. Recent years have seen the increasing incidence and visibility of uncoupled women who choose to be single parents. When single women seek to get pregnant intentionally in order to become single mothers by choice ( or `` choice moms '' ), they often seek an anonymous or known sperm donor. Single - parent adoption or fostering is also sometimes an option for single adults who want to raise a family. The demographics of single parenting show a general increase worldwide in children living in single parent homes. Single parenting has become a norm in the United States and is a trend found in many other countries. The morality and advisability of single motherhood has long been debated in the US. Single American mothers live in poverty 5 times more often than married parents. ( National Women 's Law Center, Poverty & Income Among Women & Families, 2000 - 2013 ) The topic is less contentious in Western European countries where all families enjoy more robust state - sponsored social benefits. Contents 1 History 2 Demographics 3 Debates 4 Single - parent household children 's educational achievement 5 Primary caregivers in the United States 5.1 United States single mothers 5.2 Father 6 Mental health of single mothers 7 Types of single parenting 7.1 Widowed parents 7.2 Divorced parents 7.2. 1 Divorce statistics 7.2. 2 Children and divorce 7.3 Unintended pregnancy 7.4 Choice 7.4. 1 Xin con 7.5 Single parent adoption 7.5. 1 History of single parent adoptions 7.5. 2 Considerations 7.5. 3 Single parent adoption in the United States 8 Single parents in Australia 8.1 Statistics 8.2 Single parent adoption 8.3 Payments 9 Living arrangements for single parents 10 See also 11 References 12 Further reading History Single parenthood has been common historically due to parental mortality rate ( due to disease, wars and maternal mortality ). Historical estimates indicate that in French, English, or Spanish villages in the 17th and 18th centuries at least one - third of children lost one of their parents during childhood ; in 19th - century Milan, about half of all children lost at least one parent by age 20 ; in 19th - century China, almost one - third of boys had lost one parent or both by the age of 15. Divorce was generally rare historically ( although this depends by culture and era ), and divorce especially became very difficult to obtain after the fall of the Roman Empire, in Medieval Europe, due to strong involvement of ecclesiastical courts in family life ( though annulment and other forms of separation were more common ). Demographics In the United States, since the 1960s, there has been a marked increase in the number of children living with a single parent. The 1980 United States Census reported that 19.5 % were single parent households. From 1980 to 2009, the percentage of single - parent households jumped to 29.5 %. The jump was caused by an increase in births to unmarried women and by the increasing prevalence of divorces among couples. In 2010, 40.7 % of births in the US were to unmarried women. In 2000, 11 % of children were living with parents who had never been married, 15.6 % of children lived with a divorced parent, and 1.2 % lived with a parent who was widowed. The results of the 2010 United States Census showed that 27 % of children live with one parent, consistent with the emerging trend noted in 2000. The most recent data of December 2011 shows approximately 13.7 million single parents in the U.S. Mississippi leads the nation with the highest percent of births to unmarried mothers with 54 % in 2014, followed by Louisiana, New Mexico, Florida and South Carolina. About 16 % of children worldwide live in a single - parent household. In 2006, 12.9 million families in the US were headed by a single parent, 80 % of which were headed by a female. In 2003, 14 % of all Australian households were single - parent families. At the 2013 census, 17.8 % of New Zealand families were single - parent, of which five - sixths were headed by a female. Single - parent families in New Zealand have fewer children than two - parent families ; 56 % of single - parent families have only one child and 29 % have two children, compared to 38 % and 40 % respectively for two - parent families. In the United Kingdom, about 1 out of 4 families with dependent children are single - parent families, 8 to 11 percent of which have a male single - parent. UK poverty figures show that 52 % of single parent families are below the Government - defined poverty line ( after housing costs ). Single parents in the UK are almost twice as likely to be in low - paid jobs as other workers ( 39 % of working single parents compared with 21 % of working people nationally ). This is highlighted in a report published by Gingerbread, funded by Trust for London and Barrow Cadbury Trust. Countries in Asia and the Middle East are the least likely to have children raised in single parent households. On the other hand, the 3 areas of the world that are most likely to have non-marital childbearing are Latin America, South Africa, and Sweden. Along with this, the areas where there are an extremely high number of children living in single parent homes include Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America, and Oceania. It has also been shown that children living in areas of South Africa are the very most likely to live with a single parent. Overall, according to the New York Times ', how a single parent is defined is dependent on each individual country 's culture. There are statistical graphs and charts to support previously mentioned concerns and topics. The following reference ensures statistics of other countries worldwide, rather than just the United States. Debates There is some debate among experts as to what the important component of the family structure is, particularly in the US, centering on whether or not a complete family or the love and affection of the children 's parents is more important. There are even some that argue that a single parent family is not even really a family. In American society, where living standard is very high, single moms and single dads are more likely to be poor, not only because they do n't have help in the household, but also because they did n't have much money to begin with. With respect to this, recent public policy debates have centered on whether or not government should give aid to single parent households, which some believe will reduce poverty and improve their situation, or instead focus on wider issues like protecting employment. In addition, there is a debate on the behavioral effects of children with incarcerated parents, and how losing one or both parents to incarceration affects their academic performance and social well - being with others. A variety of viewpoints exist and the debate is complicated by different interpretations of available research. The Institute for the Study of Civil Society reports that children of single parents, after controlling for other variables like family income, are more likely to have problems. The ONS reports that those children are twice more like to suffer from mental illness. Researchers show that children with no fathers are three times more likely to be unhappy, and are also more likely to engage in anti-social behavior, abuse substance and engage in juvenile deliquency. It is encouraged that each parent respect the other, at least in the child 's presence, and provide child support for the primary caregiver, when parents are not married or separated. The civil behavior among separated parents has a direct effect on how child copes with their situation ; this is especially seen in younger children who do not yet understand their familial separation, requiring both parents to establish a limited friendship to support the upbringing of their child. Single - parent household children 's educational Achievement In this section we will use data from U.S. Census bureau and the National Assessment of Educational Progress to evaluate how the increase in single - parent households may have affected children 's educational achievements. The percentage of children living with single parents increased substantially in the United States during the second half of the 20th century. According to Child Trends, 2013 only 9 % of children lived with single parents in the 1960s -- a figure that increased to 28 % in 2012. The main cause of single parent families are high rates of divorce and non-marital childbearing. According to Blankenhorn 1995, Fagan 1999, Pearlstein 2011, Popenoe 2009 and Whitehead 1997 researches, single parent family is the primary cause of school failure and problems of delinquency, drug use, teenage pregnancies, poverty, and welfare dependency in American society. Using multilevel modeling, Pong 1997 and Pong 1998 high proportions of children from single parent families perform very poorly on math and reading achievement tests in schools. Primary caregivers in the United States United States single mothers Harold Gilman 's Mother and Child, painted in 1918, depicts the traditional bond between a mother and child from early on in life. In the United States, 83 % of single parents are mothers. Among this percentage of single mothers : 45 % of single mothers are currently divorced or separated, 1.7 % are widowed, 34 % of single mothers never have been married. Although decades ago, having a child outside of marriage and / or being a single mother was not prominent. Census information from 1960 tells us that in that year, only nine percent of children lived in single parent families. Today four out of every ten children are born to an unwed mother. The prevalence of single mothers as primary caregiver is a part of traditional parenting trends between mothers and fathers. Data supports these claims, showing that in comparison to men, women are doing more than two - thirds of all child caring and in some cases one hundred percent. Of approximately 12 million single - parent homes in 2015, more than 80 percent were headed by single mothers. This disproportionate statistic has been well - documented in multiple country contexts all around the world. The United States Census Bureau found that today, one in four children under the age of 18, a total of 17.4 million are being raised without a father at all. Women all around the world have been perpetually socialized to adhere to traditional gender roles that place the majority of responsibility for childcare upon them. Cultural definition of a mother 's role contributes to the preference of mother as primary caregiver. The `` motherhood mandate '' describes the societal expectations that good mothers should be available to their children as much as possible. In addition to their traditional protective and nurturing role, single mothers may have to play the role of family provider as well ; since men are the breadwinners of the traditional family, in the absence of the child support or social benefits the mother must fulfill this role whilst also providing adequate parentage. Because of this dual role, in the United States, 80 % of single mothers are employed, of which 50 % are full - time workers and 30 % are part - time. Many employed single mothers rely on childcare facilities to care for their children while they are away at work. Linked to the rising prevalence of single parenting is the increasing quality of health care, and there have been findings of positive developmental effects with modern childcare. It is not uncommon that the mother will become actively involved with the childcare program as to compensate for leaving her children under the care of others. Working single mothers may also rely on the help from fictive kin, who provide for the children while the mother is at her job. All of these factors contribute to a well - documented heightened likelihood for single - parent, female - headed households to experience poverty. Single mothers are one of the poorest populations, many of them vulnerable to homelessness. In the United States, nearly half ( 45 % ) of single mothers and their children live below the poverty line, also referred to as the poverty threshold. They lack the financial resources to support their children when the birth father is unresponsive. Many seek assistance through living with another adult, perhaps a relative, fictive kin, or significant other, and divorced mothers who remarry have fewer financial struggles than unmarried single mothers, who can not work for longer periods of time without shirking their child - caring responsibilities. Unmarried mothers are thus more likely to cohabit with another adult. Many of the jobs available to women are not sufficient and do not bring in enough income for the mother and her children ; this is common in the United States and other countries all over the world. Father In the United States today, there are nearly 13.6 million single parents raising over 21 million children. Single fathers are far less common than single mothers, constituting 16 % of single - parent families. According to Single Parent Magazine, the number of single fathers has increased by 60 % in the last ten years, and is one of the fastest growing family situations in the United States. 60 % of single fathers are divorced, by far the most common cause of this family situation. In addition, there is an increasing trend of men having children through surrogate mothers and raising them alone. While fathers are not normally seen as primary caregivers, statistics show that 90 % of single - fathers are employed, and 72 % have a full - time job. `` Father '' has been variously defined throughout history as provider, dad, and even sire, carrying connotations of being demanding, disciplinary, and even cruel. Yet, as the writer Armstrong Williams remarks in the article `` The Definition of Father, '' ``... every father must take the time to be a dad as well as a friend, disciplinarian, shoulder to cry on, dance partner, coach, audience, adviser, listener, and so much more. '' Williams, the writer quoted above, goes on to say that he viewed his father as the driving force in his family and also someone who brought strength and compassion to his family. In addition to these qualities, the single father must take on the role of the mother, a role that extends deep into morality, devotion, and the ability to set up an educational yet nurturing environment. Thus it is the father 's role to be a source of both resilience and strength, and love and compassion. Little research has been done to suggest the hardships of the `` single father as a caretaker '' relationship ; however, a great deal has been done on the hardships of a single - parent household. Single - parent households tend to find difficulty with the lack of help they receive. More often than not a single parent finds it difficult to find help because there is a lack of support, whether it be a second parent or other family members. This tends to put a strain on not only the parent but also the relationship between the parent and their child. Furthermore, dependency is a hardship that many parents find difficult to overcome. As the single parent becomes closer to their child, the child grows more and more dependent upon that parent. This dependency, while common, may reach far past childhood, damaging the child due to their lack of independence from their parent. `` Social isolation of single parents might be a stress factor that they transmit to children. Another explanation may be that the parents do not have the time needed to support and supervise their children. This can have a negative impact on the child. '' Just as above, it has been found that little ' specific ' research to the positives of the father as a single parent has been done ; however, there are various proven pros that accompany single parenting. One proven statistic about single fathers states that a single father tends to use more positive parenting techniques than a married father. As far as non-specific pros, a strong bond tends to be formed between parent and child in single - parenting situations, allowing for an increase in maturity and closeness in the household. Gender roles are also less likely to be enforced in a single parent home because the work and chores are more likely to be shared among all individuals rather than specifically a male or female. Mental health of single mothers It has been statistically proven that the lack of social support for single mothers causes them to spiral into depression. Over 9.5 million American families are run by one woman. Single mothers are likely to have mental health issues, financial hardships, live in a low income area, and receive low levels of social support. All of these factors are taken into consideration when evaluating the mental health of single mothers. The occurrence of moderate to severe mental disability was more pronounced among single mothers at 28.7 % compared to partnered mothers at 15.7 %. These mental disabilities include but are not limited to anxiety and depression. Financial hardships also have an impact on the mental health of single mothers. Women, ages 15 -- 24, were more likely to live in a low socio - economic area, have one child, and not to have completed their senior year of high school. These women reported to be in the two lowest income areas, and their mental health was much poorer than those in higher income areas. A similar study on the mental health of single mothers attempted to answer the question, `` Are there differences in the prevalence of psychiatric disorders, between married, never - married, and separated / divorced mothers ? '' Statistically, never married, and separated / divorced mothers had the highest regularities of drug abuse, personality disorder and PTSD. The family structure can become a trigger for mental health issues in single mothers. They are especially at risk for having higher levels of depressive symptoms. Studies from the 1970s showed that single mothers who are not financially stable are more likely to experience depression. In a more current study it was proven that financial strain was directly correlated with sky rocket levels of depression. Among low - income, single mothers, depressive symptoms may be as high as 60 %. Types of single parenting Widowed parents Statue of a mother at the Yasukuni Shrine, dedicated to war widows who raised their children alone. Historically, death of a partner was a common cause of single parenting. Diseases and maternal death not infrequently resulted in a widower or widow responsible for children. At certain times wars might also deprive significant numbers of families of a parent. Improvements in sanitation and maternal care have decreased mortality for those of reproductive age, making death a less common cause of single parenting. Divorced parents Divorce Statistics In 2009, the overall divorce rate was around 9 / 1000 in the United States. It was also found that more influence came from the south, with the rates there being about 10.5 / 1000, as opposed to the north where it was around 7 / 1000. This resulted in about 1.5 % ( around 1 million ) children living in the house of a recently divorced parent in the same year. Along with this, it has been shown that for the past 10 years or so, first marriages have a 40 % chance of ending in divorce. And, for other marriages after a first divorce, the chance of another divorce increases. In 2003, a study showed that about 69 % of children in American living in a household that was a different structure than the typical nuclear family. This was broken down into about 30 % living with a stepparent, 23 % living with a biological mother, 6 % with grandparents as caregivers, 4 % with a biological father, 4 % with someone who was not a direct relative, and a small 1 % living with a foster family. Around the mid-1990s, there was a significant amount of single parents raising children, with 1.3 million single fathers and 7.6 million single mothers in the United States alone. However, many parents desire, or attempt, to get sole custody, which would make them a single parent, but are unsuccessful in the court process. There are many parents who may single parent, but do so without official custody, further biasing statistics. Children and divorce See also : Implications of divorce Child custody in reference to divorce refers to which parent is allowed to make important decisions about the children involved. Physical custody refers to which parent the child lives with. Among divorced parents, `` parallel parenting '' refers to parenting after divorce in which each parent does so independently ; this is most common. In comparison, cooperative parenting occurs when the parents involved in the child 's life work together around all involved parties ' schedules and activities, and this is far less common. After a certain `` crisis period, '' most children resume normal development ; however, their future relationships are often affected, as they lack a model upon which to base a healthy long term relationship. Nonetheless, as adults children of divorcees cope better with change. Children are affected by divorce in many different ways, varying by the circumstances and age of the child. Young children ages two to six are generally the most fearful of parental separation, and often feel abandoned or confused. Both boys and girls have the same amount of trouble coping, but often show this in different ways. Nonetheless this age group adapts best to their situations, as they are often too young to remember their non-custodial parent vividly. Children ages seven to twelve are much better at expressing emotions and accepting parentage breakage, but often distrust their parents, rely on outside help and support for encouragement, and may manifest social and academic problems. Adolescents cope the worst with divorce ; they often struggle most with the change, and may even turn away from their family entirely, dealing with their situation on their own. They often have problems expressing feelings, similar to far younger children, and may have adjustment issues with long - term relationships due to these feelings. Keeping in touch with both parents and having a healthy relationship with both mother and father appears to have the most effect on a child 's behavior ; which leads to an easier time coping with the divorce as well as development through the child 's life. Children will do better with their parents divorce if they have a smooth adjustment period. One way to make this adjustment easier on children is to let them `` remain in the same neighborhoods and schools following divorce. '' Unintended pregnancy Main article : Unintended pregnancy Some out of wedlock births are intended, but many are unintentional. Out of wedlock births are not acceptable to society, and they often result in single parenting. A partner may also leave as he or she may want to shirk responsibility of bringing up the child. This also may result in a negative impact on the child. Where they are not acceptable, they sometimes result in forced marriage, however such marriages fail more often than others. In the United States, the rate of unintended pregnancy is higher among unmarried couples than among married ones. In 1990, 73 % of births to unmarried women were unintended at the time of conception, compared to about 44 % of births overall. Mothers with unintended pregnancies, and their children, are subject to numerous adverse health effects, including increased risk of violence and death, and the children are less likely to succeed in school and are more likely to live in poverty and be involved in crime. `` Fragile Families '' are usually caused by an unintended pregnancy out of wedlock. Usually in this situation the father is not completely in the picture and the relationship between the mother, father, and child is consistently unstable. As well as instability `` fragile families '' are often limited in resources such as human capital and financial resources, the kids that come from these families are more likely to be hindered within school and do n't succeed as well as kids who have strictly single parents or two parent homes. Usually within these families the father plans to stick around and help raise the child but once the child is born the fathers do not stay for much longer and only one third stay after five years of the child 's birth. Most of these fragile families come from low economic status to begin with and the cycle appears to continue ; once the child grows up they are just as likely to still be poor and live in poverty as well. Most fragile families end with the mother becoming a single parent, leaving it even more difficult to come out of the poverty cycle. The gender of the baby seems to have no effect if the father is not living with the mother at the time of the birth meaning they are still likely to leave after one year of the child 's birth. Yet there is some evidence that suggests that if the father is living with the mother at the time of the birth he is more likely to stay after one year if the child is a son rather than a daughter. Choice Some individuals choose to become pregnant and parent on their own. Others choose to adopt. Typically referred to in the West as `` Single Mothers by Choice '' or `` Choice Moms '' though, fathers also ( less commonly ) may choose to become single parents through adoption or surrogacy. Many turn to single parenthood by choice after not finding the right person to raise children with, and for women, it often comes out of a desire to have biological children before it is too late to do so. Previous generations typically did not have this option and were coerced by social pressure to marry someone less than ideal or undergo a shotgun wedding in order to experience parenthood in a socially - acceptable way. Xin con Xin con or `` asking for a child '' was practiced in Vietnam by women veterans of the Vietnam War who had passed the customary age of marriage while engaged in the war. They asked men to help them conceive a child. In 1986 legitimacy of children of single mothers in Vietnam was recognized by the Marriage and Family Law. Single parent adoption A single mother and child History of single parent adoptions Single parent adoptions have existed since the mid 19th century. Men were rarely considered as adoptive parents, and were considered far less desired. Often, children adopted by a single person were raised in pairs rather than alone, and many adoptions by lesbians and gay men were arranged as single parent adoptions. During the mid 19th century many state welfare officials made it difficult if not impossible for single persons to adopt, as agencies searched for `` normal '' families with married men and women. In 1965, the Los Angeles Bureau of Adoptions sought single African - Americans for African - American orphans for whom married families could not be found. In 1968, the Child Welfare League of America stated that married couples were preferred, but there were `` exceptional circumstances '' where single parent adoptions were permissible. Not much has changed with the adoption process since the 1960s. However, today, many countries only allow women to adopt as a single parent, and many others only allow men to adopt boys. Considerations Single parent adoptions are controversial. They are, however, still preferred over divorcees, as divorced parents are considered an unnecessary stress on the child. In one study, the interviewers asked children questions about their new lifestyle in a single - parent home. The interviewer found that when asked about fears, a high proportion of children feared illness or injury to the parent. When asked about happiness, half of the children talked about outings with their single adoptive parent. A single person wanting to adopt a child has to be mindful of the challenges they may face, and there are certain agencies that will not work with single adoptive parents at all. Single parents will typically only have their own income to live off of, and thus might not have a backup plan for potential children in case something happens to them. Traveling is also made more complex, as the child must either be left in someone else 's care, or taken along. Single parent adoption in the United States Single parent adoption is legal in all 50 states, a relatively recent occurrence as California 's State Department of Social Welfare was the first to permit it in the 1960s. Still, the process is arduous, and even next to impossible through some agencies. Adoption agencies have strict rules about what kinds of people they allow, and most are thorough in checking the adopter 's background. An estimated 5 - 10 % of all adoptions in the U.S. are by single persons. Single parents in Australia Statistics In Australia 2011, out of all families 15.9 % were single parent families. Out of these families 17.6 % of the single parents were males, whilst 82.4 % were females. During the 1960 - 2016 period, the percentage of children living with only their mother nearly tripled from 8 to 23 percent and the percentage of children living with only their father increased from 1 to 4 percent. The percentage of children not living with any parent increased slightly from 3 to 4 percent. Single parent adoption Single people are eligible to apply for adoption in all states of Australia, except for Queensland and South Australia. They are able to apply for adoption both to Australian born and international born children, although not many other countries allow single parent adoptions. Payments Single parents in Australia are eligible for support payments from the government, but only if they are caring for at least one child under the age of eight. Living Arrangements for single parents Many single parents co-residence with their parents, more commonly single mothers do this. Studies show that in the US it is more likely that a single mother will co-residence with the Grandparents. It is more likely that single parents struggling financially with young children, will live with the Grandparents. See also Sociology portal Cost of raising a child Family planning Marriage gap McD v. L Morris Finer Report on One Parent Families Shotgun wedding Single ( relationship ) Teenage pregnancy References ^ Jump up to : `` Single - Parent Families -- Demographic Trends ''. Marriage and Family Encyclopedia. Net Industries and its Licensors. Retrieved 1 October 2011. Jump up ^ Jayson, Sharon ( 13 May 2009 ). `` Out - of - wedlock births on the rise worldwide ''. USA Today. Retrieved November 29, 2012. Jump up ^ GRAY, PETER B., et al. `` Romantic And Dating Behaviors Among Single Parents In The United States. 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Jump up ^ Steil, Janice ( 2001 ). `` Family Forms and Member Well - Being : A Research Agenda for the Decade of Behavior ''. Psychology of Women Quarterly. 25 ( 4 ) : 344 -- 363. doi : 10.1111 / 1471 - 6402.00034. Jump up ^ Ruppanner, Leah ; Pixley, Joy ( 2012 ). `` Work to Family and Family to Work Spillover : The Implications of Childcare Policy and Maximum Work Hour Legislation ''. Journal of Family and Economic Issues. 33 ( 3 ) : 283 -- 297. doi : 10.1007 / s10834 - 012 - 9303 - 6 -- via proquest. Jump up ^ Pierce, Latoya ; Herlihy, Barbara ( 2013 ). `` The Experience of Wellness for Counselor Education Doctoral Students Who are Mothers in the Southeastern Region of the United States ''. Journal of International Women 's Studies. 14 ( 3 ) : 108 -- 120 -- via Proquest. Jump up ^ Nomaguchi, Kei ; Brown, Susan ( 2011 ). `` Parental Strains and Rewards Among Mothers : The Role of Education ''. Journal of Marriage and Family. 73 : 621 -- 636. doi : 10.1111 / j. 1741 - 3737.2011. 00835. x. PMC 3489180. Jump up ^ Pander, Shanta ; Zhan, Min ( 2007 ). `` Postsecondary Education, Marital Status, and Economic Well Being of Women with Children ''. Social Development Issues. 29 ( 1 ) : 1 -- 26. Jump up ^ Neckerman, Kathryn M. ( 2004 ). Social Inequality. New York, NY : Russell Sage Foundation. p. 8. ISBN 978 - 0 - 87154 - 621 - 0. Jump up ^ Rosalind, Duncan, Simon ; Edwards ; Edwards, Rosalind ; University, Simon Duncan University of Bradford ; Rosalind Edwards South Bank ( 2013 - 11 - 05 ). Single Mothers In International Context : Mothers Or Workers ?. Routledge. ISBN 9781134227945. Jump up ^ `` Single - Parent Families -- Single Fathers Compared to Single Mothers ''. Net Industries and its Licensors. Retrieved 18 October 2011. Jump up ^ Ludden, Jennifer ( 19 June 2012 ). `` Single Dads By Choice : More Men Going It Alone ''. Retrieved 3 June 2014. Jump up ^ `` father ''. Website. Dictionary.com. Retrieved 13 November 2011. ^ Jump up to : Williams, Armstrong ( June 15, 2007 ). `` The Definition of Father ''. NewsMax.com. Archived from the original on 14 November 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2011. Jump up ^ Boehlke, Julie ( 5 January 2010 ). `` Livestrong.com ''. Demand Media, Inc. Retrieved 13 November 2011. Jump up ^ Williams, Erica ( February 6, 2003 ). `` Children in Single Parent Homes and Emotional Problems ''. The Hilltop. Howard University. Archived from the original on April 3, 2009. Retrieved 14 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` Better Health Channel ''. Online Article. State Government of Victoria. Archived from the original on 20 October 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2011. ^ Jump up to : Brown, George W. ; Moran, Patricia M. ( 1997 - 01 - 01 ). `` Single mothers, poverty and depression ''. Psychological Medicine. 27 ( 1 ) : 21 -- 33. doi : 10.1017 / s0033291796004060. ISSN 1469 - 8978. PMID 9122302. Jump up ^ Afifi, Tracie O. ; Cox, Brian J. ; Enns, Murray W. ( 2006 - 02 - 09 ). `` Mental health profiles among married, never - married, and separated / divorced mothers in a nationally representative sample ''. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. 41 ( 2 ) : 122 -- 129. doi : 10.1007 / s00127 - 005 - 0005 - 3. ISSN 0933 - 7954. Jump up ^ Jayakody, Rukmalie ; Stauffer, Dawn ( 2000 - 01 - 01 ). `` Mental Health Problems Among Single Mothers : Implications for Work and Welfare Reform ''. Journal of Social Issues. 56 ( 4 ) : 617 -- 634. doi : 10.1111 / 0022 - 4537.00188. ISSN 1540 - 4560. ^ Jump up to : Belle, Deborah ( 1990 - 03 - 01 ). `` Poverty and women 's mental health ''. American Psychologist. 45 ( 3 ) : 385. doi : 10.1037 / 0003 - 066X. 45.3. 385. ISSN 1935 - 990X. Jump up ^ Peden, Ann R. ; Rayens, Mary Kay ; Hall, Lynne A. ; Grant, Elizabeth ( 2004 - 12 - 01 ). `` Negative Thinking and the Mental Health of Low - Income Single Mothers ''. Journal of Nursing Scholarship. 36 ( 4 ) : 337 -- 344. doi : 10.1111 / j. 1547 - 5069.2004. 04061. x. ISSN 1547 - 5069. Jump up ^ `` The American South has the country 's highest divorce rates ''. GlobalPost. 25 August 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2011. Jump up ^ Yen, Hope ( 25 August 2011 ). `` United States Divorce Rate : 2009 Census Report Reveals Startling Marriage Trends ''. Huffington Post. Retrieved 14 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` Divorce Statistics ''. Archived from the original on 13 November 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2011. Jump up ^ Baker, A.L. ; Ben - Ami, N. ( 2011 ). `` Adult Recall of Childhood psychological maltreatment in `` Adult Children of divorce '' : Prevalence and associations with concurrent measures of well being ``. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage. 52 ( 4 ) : 203 -- 219. doi : 10.1080 / 10502556.2011. 556973. Jump up ^ Thomas, D.A. ; Woodside, M. ( 2011 ). `` Resilience in adult children of divorce : A multiple case study ''. Marriage & Family Review. 47 ( 4 ) : 213 -- 234. doi : 10.1080 / 01494929.2011. 586300. Jump up ^ Cherlin, Andrew ( 2010 ). Public and Private Families. New York, NY : McGraw Hill. ISBN 978 - 0 - 07 - 340435 - 6. Jump up ^ Niolon, PhD, Richard. `` Children of Divorce and Adjustment ''. Psych Page. Retrieved 29 November 2011. Jump up ^ Hess, Robert D. ; Camara, Kathleen A. ( 1979 - 10 - 01 ). `` Post-Divorce Family Relationships as Mediating Factors in the Consequences of Divorce for Children ''. Journal of Social Issues. 35 ( 4 ) : 79 -- 96. doi : 10.1111 / j. 1540 - 4560.1979. tb00814. x. ISSN 1540 - 4560. Jump up ^ Amato, Paul R. ( 2014 ). `` The Consequences of Divorce for Adults and Children : An Update ''. Drustvena istrazivanja. 23 : 5. doi : 10.5559 / di. 23.1. 01. Jump up ^ `` Single Parent Households -- How Does it Affect the Children ? ''. Retrieved 23 April 2014. Jump up ^ Eisenberg, Leon ; Brown, Sarah Hart ( 1995 ). The best intentions : unintended pregnancy and the well - being of children and families. Washington, D.C : National Academy Press. ISBN 0 - 309 - 05230 - 0. Jump up ^ Waldfogel, Jane ; Craigie, Terry - Ann ; Brooks - Gunn, Jeanne ( 2010 - 01 - 01 ). `` Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing ''. The Future of children / Center for the Future of Children, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. 20 ( 2 ) : 87 -- 112. doi : 10.1353 / foc. 2010.0002. ISSN 1054 - 8289. PMC 3074431. PMID 20964133. Jump up ^ McLanahan, Sara ; Beck, Audrey N. ( 2010 - 01 - 01 ). `` Parental relationships in fragile families ''. The Future of Children. 20 ( 2 ) : 17 -- 37. doi : 10.1353 / foc. 2010.0007. ISSN 1054 - 8289. PMC 3053572. PMID 20964130. Jump up ^ McLanahan, Sara ( 2009 - 01 - 01 ). `` Fragile Families and the Reproduction of Poverty ''. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. 621 ( 1 ) : 111 -- 131. doi : 10.1177 / 0002716208324862. ISSN 0002 - 7162. PMC 2831755. PMID 20204078. Jump up ^ Lundberg, Shelly ; McLanahan, Sara ; Rose, Elaina ( 2007 ). `` Child gender and father involvement in fragile families ''. Demography. 44 ( 1 ) : 79 -- 92. doi : 10.1353 / dem. 2007.0007. ISSN 0070 - 3370. PMID 17461337. Jump up ^ Julie Cohn ( February 14, 2013 ). `` A Tiny Village Where Women Chose to Be Single Mothers ''. The New York Times. Retrieved 15 February 2013... they asked men -- whom they would never interact with afterward -- to help them conceive a child. The practice became known as `` xin con, '' or `` asking for a child, '' Jump up ^ `` Single Parent Adoptions ''. The Adoption History Project. University of Oregon. 24 February 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2014. Jump up ^ `` Intercountry Adoption ''. U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs. Retrieved 23 April 2014. ^ Jump up to : Cake - Hanson - Cormell ( 2001 ). `` Single Parent Adoptions : Why Not ? ''. Adopting.org. Archived from the original on 6 December 2008. Retrieved 23 April 2014. Jump up ^ Shireman, Joan F. ; Johnson, Renny R. ( 1985 ). `` Single Parent Adoptions : A Longitudinal Study ''. Children and Youth Services Review. Elsevier. 7 ( 4 ) : 321 -- 334. doi : 10.1016 / S0190 - 7409 ( 85 ) 80005 - 0. ^ Jump up to : `` Single Parent Adoption ''. Adoption Services. Retrieved 23 April 2014. Jump up ^ `` Single Parent Adoption : Challenges of Single Adoption ''. Adoptions Together. Retrieved 23 April 2014. Jump up ^ Ashe, Nancy S. `` Singled Out : A Bad Rap for Single Adoptive Parents ''. Article. Adopting.org. Archived from the original on 8 May 2006. Retrieved 23 April 2014. Jump up ^ Statistics, c = AU ; o = Commonwealth of Australia ; ou = Australian Bureau of. `` QuickStats details ''. www.abs.gov.au. Retrieved 2016 - 05 - 17. Jump up ^ https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2016/cb16-192.html Jump up ^ `` Department for Child Protection - Western Australia - Thinking about adoption ? ''. www.dcp.wa.gov.au. Retrieved 2016 - 05 - 17. Jump up ^ `` Parenting Payment - Australian Government Department of Human Services ''. www.humanservices.gov.au. Retrieved 2016 - 05 - 17. Jump up ^ Hyunjoon, Park ( 2016 - 04 - 28 ). `` Living Arrangements of Single Parents and Their Children in South Korea ''. Marriage and family review. 52 : 89. doi : 10.1080 / 01494929.2015. 1073653. Further reading Library resources about Single parent Resources in your library Resources in other libraries Bankston, Carl L. ; Caldas, Stephen J. ( 1998 ). `` Family Structure, Schoolmates, and Racial Inequalities in School Achievement ''. Journal of Marriage and the Family. 60 ( 3 ) : 715 -- 723. doi : 10.2307 / 353540. Dependent Children : 1 in 4 in lone - parent families, National Statistics Online, National Statistics, United Kingdom, July 7, 2005, retrieved 17 July 2006 `` Family Life : Stresses of Single Parenting ''. American Academy of Pediatricians. Retrieved 8 November 2012. Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics ( 20 July 2005 ). `` America 's Children : Family Structure and Children 's Well - Being ''. Backgrounder. National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development. Geographic Distribution : London has most lone - parent families, National Statistics Online, National Statistics, United Kingdom, July 7, 2005, retrieved 17 July 2006 Hilton, J. ; Desrochers, S. ; Devall, E. ( 2001 ). `` Comparison of Role Demands, Relationships, and Child Functioning is Single - Mother, Single - Father, and Intact Families ''. Journal of Divorce and Remarriage. 35 : 29 -- 56. doi : 10.1300 / j087v35n01_02. Lavie, Smadar ( 2014 ). Wrapped in the Flag of Israel : Mizrahi Single Mothers and Bureaucratic Torture. Oxford and New York : Berghahn Books. ISBN 978 - 1 - 78238 - 222 - 5 hardback ; 978 - 1 - 78238 - 223 - 2 ebook. https://www.academia.edu/6799750/Wrapped_in_the_Flag_of_Israel_Mizrahi_Single_Mothers_and_Bureaucratic_Torture Mulkey, L. ; Crain, R ; Harrington, A.M. ( January 1992 ). `` One - Parent Households and Achievement : Economic and Behavioral Explanations of a Small Effect ''. Sociology of Education. 65 ( 1 ) : 48 -- 65. doi : 10.2307 / 2112692. Pong, Suet - ling ( 1998 ). `` The School Compositional Effect of Single Parenthood on 10th Grade Achievement ''. Sociology of Education. 71 ( 1 ) : 23 -- 42. doi : 10.2307 / 2673220. JSTOR 2673220. Quinlan, Robert J. ( November 2003 ). `` Father absence, parental care, and female reproductive development ''. Evolution and Human Behavior. 24 ( 6 ) : 376 -- 390. doi : 10.1016 / S1090 - 5138 ( 03 ) 00039 - 4. Richards, Leslie N. ; Schmiege, Cynthia J. ( July 1993 ). `` Family Diversity ''. Family Relations. 42 ( 3 ) : 277 -- 285. doi : 10.2307 / 585557. Risman, Barbara J. ; Park, Kyung ( November 1988 ). `` Just The Two of Us : Parent - Child Relationships in Single - Parent Homes ''. Journal of Marriage and the Family. 50 ( 4 ) : 1049 -- 1062. doi : 10.2307 / 352114. JSTOR 352114. Sacks, G. ( September 4, 2005 ). `` Boys without fathers is not a logical new idea ''. Arkansas Democrat - Gazette. Little Rock, Arkansas. Sang - Hun, Choe ( October 7, 2009 ). `` Group Resists Korean Stigma for Unwed Mothers ''. The New York Times. Shattuck, Rachel M. ; Kreider, Rose M. ( May 2012 ). `` Social and Economic Characteristics of Currently Unmarried Women with a Recent Birth, 2011 ''. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2 December 2013. Solomon - Fears, Carmen ( July 30, 2014 ). Nonmarital Births : An Overview ( PDF ). Washington, D.C. : Congressional Research Service. Retrieved 7 August 2014. Parenting Types Adoptive Alloparenting Complex family Coparenting Foster care Kommune 1 Noncustodial Nuclear family Orphaned Shared Single parent Blended family Surrogacy In loco parentis Theories Areas Attachment theory Applied behavior analysis Behaviorism Child development Cognitive development Developmental psychology Human development Love Maternal bond Nature versus nurture Parental investment Paternal bond Pediatrics Social psychology Styles Attachment parenting Concerted cultivation Gatekeeper parent Helicopter parent Nurturant parenting Slow parenting Soccer mom Strict father model Taking Children Seriously Work at home parent Techniques After - school activity Allowance Bedtime Child care Co-sleeping Homeschooling Latchkey kid Parent Management Training Play ( date ) Role model Spoiled child Television Toy ( educational ) Discipline Blanket training Corporal punishment in the home Curfew Grounding Tactical ignoring Time - out Abuse Child abandonment Child abuse Child labour Child neglect Cinderella effect Incest Narcissistic parent Parental abuse by children Parental alienation Legal and social aspects Child support Cost of raising a child Marriage Parental responsibility Deadbeat parent Paternity Disownment Experts T. 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Skinner Benjamin Spock Baby and Child Care Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Single_parent&oldid=843003697 '' Categories : Parenting Living arrangements Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from April 2018 Articles with permanently dead external links Articles with limited geographic scope from April 2012 Articles needing additional references from May 2018 All articles needing additional references All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from May 2018 Articles with unsourced statements from July 2014 Articles with specifically marked weasel - worded phrases from July 2014 Articles with unsourced statements from July 2017 All articles lacking reliable references Articles lacking reliable references from June 2017 Articles with unsourced statements from April 2014 Articles with unsourced statements from December 2014 Talk Article Talk Contents About Wikipedia Brezhoneg Čeština Deutsch Eesti Español Euskara فارسی Français Frysk 한국어 Italiano עברית Македонски 日本 語 Polski Português Русский Српски / srpski Suomi اردو 粵語 中文 14 more Edit links This page was last edited on 26 May 2018, at 05 : 43. 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Question: what is the percentage of single parents in america
Answer: 28%