The impacts of the economic downturn on the USA have left many families, in particular single parents facing various challenges. These parents can turn to organisations such as Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) but do so with the risk of becoming dependent on the welfare – a cycle many beneficiaries of aid programs and initiatives face the risk of not being able to break free from.
The range of problems of single mothers in USA can be broken down under each of the following categories;
Single mothers who belong to minorities in the USA may even consider courts support a luxury, not to mention education for children which can become costly on a low wage income – even in state schools. A lack of adequate support structures and community assistance can lead to dire consequences. Many single moms need to pay for day care over and above their existing expenses which require taking a second job and risk neglecting parenting.
It has been found that Welfare Dependence in America and other parts of the world does not foster the ability to draw on and develop ones own resources instead of helping with the problems of single mothers in USA. Stephen B. Page, Ph.D. candidate in political science at MIT consults governments on children and family related policy issues. Mary B. Larner Ph.D serves as policy analyst at the Centre for the Future of children. Their introduction to the AFDC program looks at problems of single mothers in USA through the lens of its policies, as these mothers and fathers desire to transition from welfare to work.
The problem with the AFDC
Single mothers can learn more about the federal-state program of cash assistance known as Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) since it has been under scrutiny and received more negative attention than its Supplemental Security Income program counterpart which offers food stamps and Medicaid. For solutions to the problems of single mothers in USA understanding, the basic structure of the AFDC program, eligibility criteria and pitfalls can assist in making informed decisions.
By looking at trends in the program as well as characteristics of families that have been beneficiaries of AFDC, single moms can familiarise themselves with the 60 year old program created to aid children whose parents were not able to financially support them. The AFDC was thus originally founded to address, among other, the problems of single mothers in USA. In 1996 Congress passed legislation abolishing the AFDC in favour of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) block grant. TANF instead sends funds to each state which they in turn apply to locally tailored welfare programs.
The lessons AFDC taught the USA societies since 1996 has assisted to structure more fitting programs. Poor families of single mothers faced with problems of poverty and their children qualified for the AFDC. Conversations roused suspicion that the grants encouraged unemployment and divorce. To qualify, the single mother’s child must be under 18 and a citizen or permanent legal resident without a father living at home.
Encouraging maternal dependence
In 1994, a one-parent family of three had to earn below $938 to be eligible but since states did not consider inflation, a family had to be poorer than a family who qualified in 1970. AFDC’s monthly cash grants and poverty level eligibility clearly discouraged these parents from working, perpetuating the problems of single mothers in USA. State grants differed with Mississippi offering a mere $120 compared to Alaska’s $923 a month, however none of these states kept up with inflation. This did not assist in alleviating among other, the problems of single mothers in USA.
Single mothers, who enrolled with AFDC received food stamps, subsidised housing, Medicaid and childcare assistance through related programs. In 1992 as many as 87% of AFDC families received food stamps reducing the amount of the actual cash grants single moms and dads needed to spend on food. At this time, contrary to the common welfare preconceptions, 39% of the parents who received AFDC where white, 37% black and 18% Hispanic. Trends began to show that those who depended on AFDC for long periods ended up single mothers with children and no academic training or work experience. This also became a contributing factor to the existing problems of single mothers in USA.
Only 15% of new recipients join based on that their wages decreased, while many leave when they remarry or when their children came of age. As reliance grew, the AFDC’s budget ate away at the USA’s tax dollars but one must also consider growing populations. On the whole, expenditures were small portions of state and federal budgets. All in all this cash assistance did not lift many children out of poverty barring the portion of the population it attended. In the future, when designing welfare programs that address the problems of single mothers in USA to assist in raising their children in this financial climate, they will draw on the 35 years of lessons the AFDC revealed.
Solutions to the problems of single mothers in USA
Problems of single mothers in USA include acquiring good legal assistance to ensure that you hire an experienced attorney. If you have any other problems and you are unable to face these alone, singlemoms-meetup online has a list of groups of single mothers sharing problems who meet across the USA to support one another through what they are dealing with. Epinions has lists of articles by single moms sharing their personal stories for one another to relate to.
In addition there are plenty online resources to guide assist with problems of single mothers in USA such as How to heal the pain of divorce, Bouncing back from an unwanted divorce, moving on after the divorce, Accepting the divorce as a reality and how to keep divorce from having negative effects on your child.
Moms can always find a copy of The Complete Single Mother: Reassuring Answers to Your Most Challenging Concerns by Andrea Engber and Leah Klungness. Dr. Leah’s book The Complete Single Mother answers the questions you may have about problems of single mothers in USA you may have been afraid to ask. These include questions about sex and dating, custody issues, managing finances, parenting specific ages and stages, helping your child cope with the divorce, co-parenting, dealing with irresponsible exes, handling work pressure, collecting child support, and responding to those tough questions like “Where’s Daddy?” and much more.
This book addresses many of the problems of single mothers in USA today, offering pragmatic advice and expert information to meet the challenges. The authors how that with creative thinking and planning, you can raise happy, healthy and productive children while retaining both your sanity and sense of humor. The book is currently in its third edition so you can check for an affordable copy of the handbook at your local second hand store or online.
The handbook is a great guide assisting single mothers to overcome challenges with courage and wisdom dealing with everything from finances to absent fathers, custody and dating. It is written by the founder and director of the National Organization of Single Mothers and explains what nearly thirteen million American single mothers need to know to face their problems with dignity.