Single parent

A single parent raises a child without a spouse or co-parent living as part of the child’s household. The arrangement can arise through separation, bereavement, choice, or other circumstances.

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Parenting: The practices and responsibilities involved in raising and caring for a child. Single parenting is one household arrangement for carrying out the broader work of parenting.
Childcare: Supervision and care provided to children by parents, relatives, or paid caregivers. Work schedules and the absence of another resident parent can make childcare especially consequential.
Two-parent household: A household in which two parents live with and participate in raising a child. It contrasts the resident caregiving arrangement while allowing many different family relationships.
Poverty: A condition in which people lack sufficient resources to meet basic needs and participate in society. One income and caregiving constraints can raise economic risk, though outcomes vary widely.
Family structure: The composition and relationships of people who form a family or household. It distinguishes single-parent households from other arrangements without defining families by one model.
Child support: Financial payments intended to contribute to a child’s upbringing, often ordered after separation. Payments from a nonresident parent can affect the resources available in a single-parent household.
Joint custody: A custody arrangement in which parents share legal decision-making or physical care of a child. Shared custody can coexist with one parent’s household being the child’s primary residence.
Workforce participation: The share of a population that is employed or actively seeking employment. Care responsibilities can shape whether and how a single parent can enter paid work.
Custody (parenting): The legal and practical allocation of responsibility for a child after parental separation. A parent may raise a child alone at home while sharing legal or practical custody.
Family policy: Public rules and programs that shape family life, caregiving, and support for children. Benefits, leave, and childcare policy can alter the pressures faced by one-parent households.