Lone-Parent Families In The United-States - Dynamics, Economic-Status And Developmental Consequences

More than one-third of all children born in th United States in the mid-1970s spent at least part of their childhoods living in female-headed families. Such family structures are found to be transitory in many cases, especially among whites. Family incomes are substantially reduced during the time children spend in female-headed families. Access to time or money help from friends or relatives is no more likely in one-parent families. Children in mother-only families do worse along a number of developmental dimensions. In the case of cognitive development but not behavior problems, economic differences account for the bulk of the family structure effects.