The increase in female-headed single-parent families, and the high
rates of poverty among them, caused by changing economic and social
support structures, is an international phenomenon. The traditional
negative focus on the deviance of this family structure has led to
blaming unmarried women, rather than implementing economic and
social support structures that could lift their families out of poverty.
This article presents data on these families and suggests ways of
reframing the dialogue to broaden the lens under which social work
educators, students, and practitioners view single-mother families.
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