Factual Information About Single Motherhood

In 2006, single moms head a fast-growing familiar category. According to the U.S. Census Bureau Report of 2006, there are 10 million single mothers living with children under 18 years old, up from 3 million in 1970 (1).

In 1998, 7.7 million (78%) of single mothers maintained their own households. Most of these mothers (69%) had no other adult in the home to help them (2).

Well Educated, Middle-Class Single Mothers

In the mid-1980s, a "new" type of single mother family started to emerge : "Single mothers by choice" (3) These unwed mothers are not immature and/or impulsive, but rather mature and responsible single women who are in their 30s, largely middle class, well educated, and working professionals(4). Their "choice" refers to the decision to bear children despite the absence of a husband.

• Only 25% of all non marital births occur to teenagers [Data on the age demographics of total unwed mothers from National Vital Statistics Report].
• The majority of single mothers are adults; only 11 percent are under the age of 25 (5)

(6)

---

Resources

(1)U.S. Census Bureau Report, 2006.
(2)U.S. Census Bureau Report, 2000.
(3) Kahn, Alfred and Sheila Kamerman. Mothers Alone. Auburn House Publishing Company, 1988. pg. 126.
(4) Kahn, Alfred and Sheila Kamerman. Mothers Alone. Auburn House Publishing Company, 1988 (see Table 4-2)
(5)“The Faces of Single Parenting,” Single-Parent Family, Focus on the Family, October 1994.
(6) Ventura, S.J. Births to Unmarried Mothers. National Center for Health Statistics, Series 21, No. 53, 1995.