In recent research done by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, more than 23 million children in the United States live in a single-parent household. According to the research, “This total has risen over the last half cen­tu­ry and cur­rent­ly cov­ers about one in every three kids across Amer­i­ca.”

As one could reason, there are many factors that can create a single-parent household, including divorce, death, and abuse. Single parents have unique challenges, and so do children living in single-parent homes, and both should be considered when assessing and addressing the welfare of this vast population of people.

Single parents and their children are often dealing with complex traumas surrounding the loss or lack of the second parent. In the single parent, this can cause impulsive decision-making, an overwhelmed approach to parenting, and a scarcity mindset. In the child, it can cause severe developmental hindrances, such as unhealthy coping skills, unregulated emotions, and lower performance in school.

Secondly, the independence of the family unit is in jeopardy. Parents living on a single income and bearing the full burden of rearing children are put under extreme stress and often struggle to make ends meet. These families are more likely to rely on predatory loan programs, or on the single parent’s family of origin for support. In some cases, being dependent to the family of origin is emotionally helpful for the single parent and child(ren), but often it is not.

Almost every individual wants to contribute to their family and society overall in a unique and positive way. They want their work to matter, and they want to do something that allows them to feel competent and helpful. This is referred to as the psychology of human betterment. For many single parents, the effort it takes to simply survive limits them from dreaming bigger, taking calculated risks, or pursuing an education, even if it could lead to a more fruitful future. Pursuit of anything that will only benefit in the long-term is a luxury that some feel like they cannot afford.

According to a report published by the National Center for Education Statistics, 90% of children whose parents pursued and received a college degree also pursued higher education within three years of graduating high school. When children are raised by parents who received a high school diploma or less, the percentage of college attendance in those children drops to 55%. If we are looking to break the cycle of poverty for vulnerable children in the United States, we would be wise to focus our efforts on the parents raising them as well.

Buckner Family Pathways® was founded to support single parents as they pursue their education. The program’s initiators acknowledged that the urgent needs for single parents were preventing them from completing education that would eventually break the cycle of poverty. The immediate threat of losing housing, lack of reliable transportation, or paying the light bill was contributing to the high drop-out rate for single parents. Family Pathways sought to change that.

The program offers housing for single parents and their children while the parent is enrolled in full-time classes. Family Pathways supports parents with financial coaching so that they have lasting money management skills that will carry them as they start their career. Participants have access to parenting classes that teach them how to approach difficult parenting moments and critical points in their children’s lives.

As we look at addressing the needs of single parents throughout the United States and the children that they are raising, having a holistic perspective is crucial. The solution is not found in any one layer. Every family’s situation is unique and requires a relational approach to make generational change.

Single parents and the children in their homes make up a large percentage of our population, and the way that we choose to empower them now has a direct effect on our society in the future. Supporting programs that encourage independence, education, secure parenting styles, and emotional regulation in single parents and their children will have generational impact and will create a better future for us all.

Written by Audra Beaty, associate director of digital media, Buckner International