The trend in the income status of children in female-headed families: A replication and update

Abstract

This present study replicates and updates Ozawa and Kim's study [Ozawa, M.N., & Kim, R.Y. (1999). The trend in the income status of children in female-headed families. Children and Youth Services Review, 21(7), 527–547.] of the trend in the income status of children in female-headed families compared to married-couple families and male-headed families. Using the March 1992, 1999, and 2006 Current Population Surveys (CPS), this study estimates income distribution at three stages: pre-transfer income, pre-transfer income plus social insurance benefits, and post-transfer income. This study found that children in female-headed families lost economic ground to children in married-couple families both at the pre-transfer and post-transfer income stages over the years under this investigation, but the greatest loss appeared at the post-transfer income distribution. Compared to children in male-headed families, children in female-headed families gained small economic ground at both income stages. Unexpectedly, this study also found that decline in the distributive effect of both social insurance and means-tested income transfers occurred for all children across all types of families. Policy implications are discussed.