Single-parent families

The number of households in the United States led by single parents has significantly increased over the last fifty years (US Census, 2000). In the 1950’s it was common to be raised in a traditional nuclear, two-parent household, with almost 80% of children being raised by both parents (US Census, 2000). Today, millions of children live in single-parent households. In fact, 50-60% of all children are expected to spend some time being raised in a single-parent household (Hornberger, Zabriskie, & Freeman 2010). Divorce or separation is the most common factor in the increase of single-parent families (Hanson & Sporakowski, 1986), although single-parent families can also occur from the death of a parent, incarceration, or parents who are single by choice (Mitchell & Ponzetti, 2003). In comparison to traditional two-parent families, single-parent families face a variety of challenges, such as lower income, higher stress, and on average less overall family resources (Hilton & Devall, 199