Low-income Single Mothers Research Articles

Measuring extended families over time in informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya: Retention and data consistency in a two-round survey.

Researchers have increasingly turned to longitudinal data to understand how the family environment of children changes over time and how this change affects their well-being. While the value of such efforts is clear, the inherent challenges of collecting robust data over time may limit or bias our understanding of family complexity. Drawing on data from an exploratory study on kinship structure and support for low income single mothers and their young children in Nairobi, Kenya, this paper aims to (1) assess the strengths and weaknesses of our approach in reflecting the complexities of kinship dynamics and (2) analyze how methodological issues such as selection and reporting inconsistency can influence our understanding of the role of kin in children's lives. The analysis used data from two waves of the Kinship Support Tree (KST) project. The starting sample consisted of 462 single mothers with at least one child under the age of 7, with data collected on approximately 5,000 resident and nonresident kin. Descriptive statistics and conventional tests of significance were used to analyze selection factors and inconsistencies in reporting across waves. The study yielded a 91% retention rate after six months and the analysis provides some assurance that selectivity from attrition and reporting inconsistency are not entirely driven by shifts in support provision by kin. However, the selectivity of the sample underscores caution in generalizing the results. While the challenges of conducting follow-up surveys such as the KST are serious, these findings suggest that it is possible to collect consistent data on kinship structure and support from the perspective of children in a mobile population. Tracking kinship structure over time using the KST is not only feasible but more importantly is unlikely to lead to incomplete or biased understanding of kinship. After further testing with a wider range of women, we hope to disseminate our results for use in a wide range of contexts both in and out of Africa. We believe this data is vital to designing appropriate interventions to improve the well-being of children growing up in these communities.

Low-income mothers in an Israeli welfare-to-work program: Symbolic violence and its limitations

Welfare-to-work (WTW) programs use role modeling rhetoric to re-educate mothers to prioritize paid employment over presence-based childcare. Research has shown that mothers may resist this rhetoric if, historically, policies in their countries shaped their sense of entitlement to be supported as mothers. But under what conditions does such resistance build a critical voice? What other voices emerge in the encounter with the WTW rhetoric? This article uses three ‘voices’ that emerge in the ideological environment of WTW to criticize the common usage of ‘voice’ in discussions of working with those who live in poverty. Based on semi-structured interviews of 62 single mothers participating in a WTW program in Israel, the study shows how participants’ voices convey disentitlement to childcare services. By considering how low-income single mothers experience themselves as respectable individuals when suitable childcare is scarce, the article discusses the conditions under which an emerging ‘voice’ can be considered critical.

Moving In and Out of Welfare and Work: The Influence of Regional Socioeconomic Circumstances on Economic Disconnection Among Low-Income Single Mothers

An increasing proportion of low-income single mothers are experiencing periods of economic disconnection, defined as receiving no cash income from welfare or work. Most research on disconnection has focused on personal attributes as risk factors for experiencing disconnection at a static point in time. This study adopts a dynamic perspective and broadens the existing set of determinants by adding regional socioeconomic characteristics to explain changes in status. Results from multivariate survival analyses demonstrate that residence in a disadvantaged county is associated with an increased risk of becoming disconnected. State-level policies, as opposed to county socioeconomic characteristics, have stronger influences on movements out of disconnection. The findings from the analyses provide a base for policy discussions about helping this vulnerable population.

Between Money and Love: Work-family Conflict Among Swedish Low-income Single Mothers

Research suggests that single mothers are an increasingly vulnerable group in Scandinavia. Drawing on in-depth interviews, this study takes a closer look at challenges faced by Swedish working-class and low-income single mothers. It explores how working conditions and economic resources influence their access to valued practices, such as the possibility to reconcile paid work and family commitments. It is assumed that discrepancies between mothers’ notions of good mothering and their ability to act in accordance with these values give rise to conflicts and dilemmas. Findings show that lack of financial resources and low control over their work situation significantly limited the mothers’ possibility to combine various responsibilities and to practice the kind of mothering they preferred. Furthermore, the opening hours of preschools frequently did not match the mothers’ working schedules, and they could often not effectively benefit from some of the social rights granted by the Swedish welfare state.

Not Like the Other Black Girls: How Class and Family Structure Impact Young Black Women’s Experiences of Competition and Alienation

For much of the tewntieth century the dominant image of black women in the United States has been that of the low-income single mother. Over the past several years, however, there has been significant scholarly interest in the experiences of middle class black women in America and the double burden of sexism and racism they face. While some of this research has addressed their familial experiences, the complexity of racialized family structure in the black middle class and its impact on women is often overlooked. Moreover, previous studies of the black middle class have typically assumed a backdrop of monoracial family structure. This assumption overlooks biracial and transracial families, however, who also form a core constituency of the black middle class. This paper explores the experiences of college aged middle class black women as they negotiate race, class, and gender against the backdrop of varying racialized family structures. Data is drawn from 25 in depth interviews with young middle class black women between the ages of 18 and 25 who were raised in families with two black parents (monoracial), one white and one black parent (biracial), and two white parents (transracial). Findings suggest that young middle class black women experience particularly tense relationships with poorer black women leaving them feeling “different” and isolated. Transracial adoptees and young biracial women faced unique challenges, however, whereby their connections to the white community served to further isolate them from other young black women.

Food as a discretionary item: the impact of welfare payment changes on low-income single mother’s food choices and strategies

Recent changes to Australia's welfare system have affected low-income single parent families, with many moved on to an employment seeker's payment (a reduced payment) when the policy change made them ineligible for a family payment. To explore the impacts of this policy change, in-depth interviews were conducted with 23 low-income single mothers across Australia. This paper focuses on the health and wellbeing impacts of the decreased payment on food choices and behaviours. This study suggests that food had become an expense that could be tightly managed, limited, or foregone for these families.

Investigating social support patterns of single mothers from a social network perspective

AbstractIn the present study, we discuss how social network analysis approach can be fruitful exploited to study social support within family studies. An ego-centred network approach is adopted within a case study about social support networks of low income single mothers living in a city of southern Italy. We address three main issues. First, we aim to describe and explore the structure of social relationships that single mothers activate in order to obtain different kind of supports. Second, we investigate the main factors that affect the amount and variety of resources embedded in the single mothers’ support networks. Third, we analyse the relationship between the received social support embedded in the ego network and the support perceived by mothers. Beyond the description of composition and structure of ego-centred networks through network measures and factorial methods, a series of regression models was estimated to assess factors explaining received and perceived support of single mothers.

Life on newstart allowance: a new reality for low-income single mothers

ABSTRACTIn recent years, significant policy changes have been made to Australian welfare benefits for single parent families. These changes include the addition of work requirements and changes to the eligibility requirements for family payments. This paper explores the most recent welfare payment change for low-income single parents in 2013, whereby a change in eligibility requirements has seen many move from the Parenting Payment Single (PPS) to Newstart Allowance, a decreased fortnightly payment with a stricter income test. Twenty-three in-depth interviews were conducted with women who had recently experienced this payment change. All of the women were already struggling financially on the PPS, with the shift to Newstart Allowance further exacerbating their precarious financial position. This paper focuses on the financial impacts, the need to prioritise expenses and women’s capacity to make up the financial shortfall since moving off the PPS. This paper adds to the existing literature exploring the impacts of welfare policy change on single parent families.

The Impact and Salience of Low-Income Single Mothers’ Identities and Roles on Post-compulsory Education Persistence Decisions

The Impact and Salience of Low-Income Single Mothers’ Identities and Roles on Post-compulsory Education Persistence Decisions

The Relationship between State Welfare Rules and Economic Disconnection among Low-Income Single Mothers

AbstractThe proportion of low-income single mothers who are disconnected, or not receiving public cash assistance or employment earnings, has increased since the 1996 US welfare reform legislation. Using data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation and the Welfare Rules Database, we use multilevel and multinomial logit models to examine the relationship between state welfare rules and the risk of disconnection. We find that women in states with lifetime limits of less than 60 months are more likely to be disconnected. More generous welfare benefits are associated with a lesser risk of disconnection, while diversion programs are associated with a greater risk of disconnection compared to welfare receipt but are not significant in comparison to employment. Our findings indicate that state rules matter and should be considered as a potential mechanism to change the dynamics of economic disconnection.

Nonresident Fathers' Involvement with Young Black Children: A Replication and Extension of a Mediational Model

The study reported in this article used Fragile Families data to test a mediational model of the influences of nonresident black fathers' involvement with 492 low-income single mothers and their three-year-old children (time 3) on the mothers' psychological well-being and parenting adequacy and the children's socioemotional development at age 5 (time 5) as they prepared to enter elementary school. The findings generally replicated earlier research with a smaller sample. The results showed that nonresident biological fathers are important in the lives of young black children. The availability of social and instrumental support from fathers was associated with better psychological and parenting outcomes for mothers, which in turn predicted fewer child behavior problems at time 3. Fewer behavior problems at time 3 were associated with fewer such problems at time 5. The results provide significant support for interventions in programs aimed at reducing the adverse consequences of single parenting for young children in economically challenged black families.

Institutional processes and the production of gender inequalities: The case of Australian child support research and administration

This article analyses the administrative and research capture of child support data as a case study of how institutional data collection processes are performative in perpetuating gendered inequalities. We compare interviews with 19 low-income single mothers and their longitudinal survey responses from the same research to reveal how low-income women strategically or inadvertently ‘smoothed’ their experiences when responding to data collection processes. This directly resulted in material and symbolic costs in the form of reduced welfare benefits and limited evidence with which to lobby for policy reform. These processes in turn provided benefits to fathers and the state in the form of reduced child support liabilities and enforcement action, and welfare outlays, respectively. We conclude that current administrative and research data collection practices provide a limited and gendered evidence base for administrative justice and policy reform.

“You Just Have to Look at It as a Gift”: Low-Income Single Mothers’ Experiences of the Child Support System

The current child support system emphasizes making parents pay first before the state provides economic assistance. Despite research suggesting that child support can financially benefit low-income households, many custodial mothers do not pursue child support orders. In this study, the author uses in-depth interviews with 25 low-income single mothers to better understand (1) why some women do not file for child support and (2) for those who do enter into this system, what are their experiences in navigating the child support process, including interacting with the fathers of their children as well as with the state.

Childcare arrangements and infant feeding practices by family structure and household income among US children aged 0 to 2 years.

The primary objective of this study is to examine the disparities in childcare and infant feeding practices by family structure (single-mother vs. two-parent households) and whether household income level may modify the observed associations by family structure. The cross-sectional data analysis was conducted using a nationally representative sample of children aged 0 to 2 years enrolled in the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health. The analytic sample is children from single mothers (n = 1801, 16.0%) and children from two parents (n = 11 337, 84.0%). Children of single mothers used more non-parental childcare [adjusted odds ratios (AOR) = 2.67, 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 1.99-3.58], especially relative care and centre care, than children of two parents. Lower rates of any breastfeeding for 6 months (AOR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.43-0.77) and ever breastfed (AOR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.50-0.89) were reported among children of single mothers than those of two parents. The many observed differences in childcare arrangements and breastfeeding by family structure remained significant in both low- and high-income households. However, children of low-income single mothers had more last-minute changes of childcare arrangement (AOR = 2.34, 95% CI = 1.55-3.52) than children of low-income two-parent households and children of high-income single mothers had more early introduction of complementary foods (AOR = 1.92, 95% CI = 1.12-3.29) than children of high-income two-parent households. This study documented disparities in childcare arrangements and infant feeding practices by family structure, regardless of income level. These findings support the need to for comprehensive policies that address maternal employment leave, childcare support and workplace accommodations and support for breastfeeding for children 0 to 2 years, especially among single mothers, regardless of income.

Social Network Development among Low-Income Single Mothers: Potential for Bridging, Bonding, and Building

Social capital has been increasingly recognized as a valuable resource for people throughout society but is often left of discussions about low-income families. Social capital includes networks, connections, information, trust, and norms of reciprocity that are shared by groups of connected people (Bourdieu & Wacquant, 1992; Brisson & Usher, 2005; Woolcock, 1998). The recognition that social capital may represent an important component of social mobility for low-income families represents a shift from the view that moving of poverty requires cutting ties and moving away from kin and community (Belle, 1983; Dodson, 1999; Rainwater, 1970).Putnam (2000) explored the benefits of collective social capital for society and individuals. He divided social capital into bridging and bonding, attributing this conceptual distinction to Gittell and Vidal (1998). According to this framework, bonding social networks are networks of people who are similar. Such networks offer connections and support among homogenous groups. Bridging social networks help connect people to others outside their ordinary day-to-day activities. These diverse networks encourage interaction outside the community (Brisson & Usher, 2005; Gittell & Vidal, 1998; Putnam, 2000).Poverty scholars studying social capital in low-income families also identify these two distinct social networks that provide different kinds of gains. However, in the past, scholars focused on the cost of maintaining bonding social networks in low-income communities (Belle, 1983; Riley & Eckenrode, 1986). Within the framework of social mobility attainment, the responsibilities of maintaining this social network can be seen as a barrier to individual progress (Dominguez & Watkins, 2003; Riley & Eckenrode, 1986; Stack, 1974). A cultural focus on autonomy and individual success contrasts with the idea that low-income women may benefit from forming networks and gaining social mobility in tandem (Dominguez & Watkins, 2003; Nelson, 2000; Sanyal, 2009). Others claim that social support within low-income communities is not as prevalent as it once was (Roschelle, 1997).In this article we examine qualitative data from an antipoverty program designed to support the economic and career advancement of low-income single parents. The program fostered the development of social networks that emerged among the participants over a 3-year period. Researchers conducted annual in-depth interviews as part of a qualitative program assessment. Our investigation examined the obstacles these single parents encountered in their daily lives and the supports that were the most helpful in responding to them. Social networks emerged as a dominant theme early in the interview process. In this article, we examine the data on social networks that emerged from the interviews using the following research questions: (a) What types of social networks emerged in this setting? and (b) How did these networks affect the daily lives of participants?Social Networks Generate Social CapitalSocial networks are broadly viewed as an important way of generating social capital and enabling economic development and social mobility (Briggs, 1998; Portes, 2000; Putnam, 1995). Scholars have utilized the concept of social capital in the areas of education and child welfare to assess predictors of youth delinquency and success (Furstenberg & Hughes, 1995; Kahne & Bailey, 1999). Some business and organizational literature also analyzes the impact of social capital (networking) on employment success (Fernandez, Castilla, & Moore, 2000; George & Chaze, 2009; Leana & Van Buren, 1999). However, there is surprisingly little literature focused on social capital building in low-income communities in the United States. The lack of studies may reflect the notion that to succeed, poor people need to move up and out of the community. Dominguez and Watkins (2003) examined social networks among African American and F afin American low-income mothers and found social support and social leverage networks could enable social mobility. …

Does Public Health Insurance for Children Improve Single Mothers’ Health Care Use?

Public health insurance expansions for low- and middle-income children have improved private and social welfare by enhancing children’s access to socially-valued health services and improving their health. In this paper, we considered another welfare implication from expanded public coverage for children: Whether the savings in private insurance premiums and/or out-of-pocket medical spending from enrolling children in public coverage freed up income that was used for mothers’ own medical care. We used data from the 2001–2008 US Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and found that uninsured, low-income single mothers with children enrolled in public coverage used more preventive and other health care services than their counterparts who did not enroll their children in such coverage.

A Field Experiment to Test the Labor Market Value of a Credential from a For-Profit Postsecondary School

The attainment of postsecondary credentials holds particular promise in improving economic security for low-income single mothers. However, the type of school attended may matter when determining whether postsecondary credentials will foster positive labor market outcomes and financial stability for former students. This paper describes the pre-test of a field experiment to examine whether the school type listed on a job applicant’s resume has an impact on receiving a call for a job interview, in fields commonly pursued by low-income women. School types tested were for-profit schools and community colleges. Results revealed little difference in outcomes for job seekers with credentials from each school type. However, more reliable results could be obtained by repeating this study in a stronger economy, using job candidates with minimal applicable experience, applying to a greater number of positions, and selecting occupations for which an academic credential is widely seen as a prerequisite for entry.DOI:10.2458/azu_jmmss_v5i1_arcand

A Field Experiment to Test the Labor Market Value of a Credential from a For-Profit Postsecondary School

The attainment of postsecondary credentials holds particular promise in improving economic security for low-income single mothers. However, the type of school attended may matter when determining whether postsecondary credentials will foster positive labor market outcomes and financial stability for former students. This paper describes the pre-test of a field experiment to examine whether the school type listed on a job applicant’s resume has an impact on receiving a call for a job interview, in fields commonly pursued by low-income women. School types tested were for-profit schools and community colleges. Results revealed little difference in outcomes for job seekers with credentials from each school type. However, more reliable results could be obtained by repeating this study in a stronger economy, using job candidates with minimal applicable experience, applying to a greater number of positions, and selecting occupations for which an academic credential is widely seen as a prerequisite for entry.DOI:10.2458/azu_jmmss_v5i1_arcand

Violence in the Lives of Rural, Southern, and Poor White Women.

Poor White single mothers and their children in non-urban communities in the American South experience high levels of domestic violence. We report selected findings from a life history study among White, low-income, unmarried mothers in South Carolina. Here, we examine how domestic violence in both childhood and adulthood may inhibit asset development by diminishing low-income single mothers' accumulation of human and social capital, thus compromising their well-being as adults and parents.

A grounded theory approach on the experience of a struggle against breast cancer in low-income single mother

A grounded theory approach on the experience of a struggle against breast cancer in low-income single mother