Some Facts About Single Parents

Single parents can be divorced or never-married mothers or fathers raising children on their own.

Children who live with a single parent tend to have more financial challenges than children raised by both parents. According to the National Poverty Center, almost 21 percent of children in the United States lived in poverty during 2009. Almost 30 percent of those children lived in a home headed by a single mother. And almost 17 percent lived with a single father. Whether or not being a single parent is something the parent planned or expected, it can be an emotionally draining situation to deal with. Supporting a single parent, even in small ways, might just avert a financial or emotional crises.

If you know a single parent and would like to help, here are some things that you can do to assist them.

• Ask what the single parent needs or wants rather than assuming what type of assistance she needs. Many single parents have a routine that works well for them. Asking a single parent what you can do to support her demonstrates caring and understanding, and it allows the parent to guide you in the direction that will best help her and her child.
• Offer to listen to a single parent who is recently divorced or dealing with the death of a spouse. He may need someone to talk to and to help out, since death or divorce made him a single parent unexpectedly.
• Invite the single parent and child to community functions, birthday parties and play dates. Single parents may feel isolated or worn out doing everything alone, so having people who are willing to be there for him is important and uplifting.
• Offer your babysitting services so the single parent can have a night out with friends, or a night in to recoup and relax.
• Set up a weekly standing date to meet up for coffee, drinks or dinner. Although the single parent may not need this every week, it can be helpful knowing she can vent her frustrations, share her or her child’s accomplishments, or connect with other parents on a regular basis.
• Provide or offer resources to a single parent in the form of information. This is helpful and demonstrates your willingness to support her in times of need. Benefits.gov and the Office of Family Assistance that is part of the Administration of Children and Families are two websites with an abundance of information on assistance programs and parent resources. Single parents generally have limited financial resources, especially mothers after a divorce, according the Census Bureau’s 2003 report, so these could be especially helpful.