Abstract
Black families headed by women have much lower incomes and higher poverty rates than almost any other type of family. They are disproportionately dependent on welfare and are less likely to receive support from absent fathers. This is a very serious problem for the black community because of the increasing proportion of black families headed by women alone. This article outlines the dimensions of the economic problem and reviews the likely impact of recent policy changes on these families.
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Notes
The Census Bureau has changed its terminology in recent years, recognizing that “many households are no longer organized with autocratic principles” (Series P-23, no. !07. p. 1, 1980). As a result, the term that the Census Bureau uses for “female-headed families” is “families maintained by female householders with no husband present.” For ease of exposition, that term is used interchangeably with “female-headed” families. Both terms refer to those families with a female householder (no spouse present). “Male-headed” families are those with a male householder (no spouse present). Husband-wife households will be referred to as “married-couple” or “two-parent.”
These figures refer to a subset of families, those with children under age 18. The vast majority of households (72%) are composed of families. Over 70% of black family households have children under 18. That is true of 51% of white family households. The sources of information for figures on living arrangements are U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census,Household and Family Characteristics: 1984, Current Population Reports Series P-20, no. 398 (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1985) and U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census,Families Maintained by Female Householders: 1970-79, Current Population Reports Series P-23. no. 107 (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1980).
William P. O’Hare, “Dramatic Increase in Single Black Mothers”Focus vol. 13, no. 9, September 1985.
See Margaret C. Simms.The Economic Well-Being of Minorities during the Reagan Years, Changing Domestic Priorities Discussion Paper (Washington, D.C.: The Urban Institute. 1984), and John L. Palmer and Isabel V. Sawhill (eds.).The Reagan Record (Cambridge. Mass.: Ballinger, 1984).
For further discussion of employment and training programs for welfare recipients, see Demetra Smith Nightingale.Federal Employment and Training Policy Changes During the Reagan Administration: Stale and Local Responses (Washington. D.C.: The Urban Institute, 1985).
Statistics on child support come from U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census.Child Support and Alimony: 1981 (Advance Report). Current Population Report Series P-23. no. 124 (Washington. D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1983).
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Simms, M.C. Black women who head families: An economic struggle. The Review of Black Political Economy 14, 141–151 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02689882
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02689882