Reframing the Dialogue on Female-Headed Single-Parent Families

Abstract

The increase in female-headed single-parent families, and the high rates of poverty among them, caused by changing economic and social support structures, is an international phenomenon. The traditional negative focus on the deviance of this family structure has led to blaming unmarried women, rather than implementing economic and social support structures that could lift their families out of poverty. This article presents data on these families and suggests ways of reframing the dialogue to broaden the lens under which social work educators, students, and practitioners view single-mother families.