Moms in Poverty

This Mother’s Day, 4GGL wants to take a peak into the challenges facing some of the mothers struggling the most out there—single mothers living in poverty—and what we can do as a community to create greater economic opportunity for all kinds of families.

Too often the space in the national discourse for this discussion is clouded by myths, personal attacks, and stereotypes about this group of women. This Mother’s Day let’s move beyond the stereotypes and take a fresh look at not only the challenges facing single mothers living in poverty but also some of the policy solutions that can lift them out of poverty.

Here are three things to keep in mind about poor single mothers this Mother’s Day.

1.  A full-time, year-round job makes all the difference. Single-mother families are nearly five times as likely to be poor than married-couple families.

2. Job quality is critical for single mothers. Single moms are especially likely to work in low-wage jobs. More than 80 percent of low-wage workers don’t have access to a single paid sick day.

3. It’s in our nation’s best interest to lift more single mothers out of poverty. A majority of the nation’s poor children live in single-mother-led households. Child poverty is not only morally objectionable, but it’s also costly. Child poverty costs the U.S. economy more than $500 billion annually.

For more information, read the whole article here > 

4GGL thanks Center for American Progress for this story.

The Center for American Progress is an independent nonpartisan policy institute that is dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans, through bold, progressive ideas, as well as strong leadership and concerted action. They believe we owe it to future generations to protect the planet and promote peace and shared global prosperity. And that effective government can champion the common good over narrow self-interest and harness the strength of our diversity.