More Women Raising Children Without A Spouse

According to the U.S. Census, more women in the U.S. are raising children by themselves. The number jumped 25% in the last decade. The increase is almost twice as much as the rate of population growth for the general U.S. population (13%).

This trend is worldwide as well. In the U.S. the trend for non marital childbearing is strongest among the minorities, but is also rising among poor whites. Children and mothers do worse economically with families where there is no spouse. Of all groups counted by the census, the traditional family (married couples with their own children under the age of 18) is one of the slowest growth groups surveyed. The number of women raising children with a spouse increase from 6 million to 7.6 million in the 1990's. There is debate as to whether previous social welfare programs contributed to an increase in single parent families, however the non marital birth rates have leveled off in the last 5 years, after the welfare to work programs were instituted.

The Sun 5/21/01