Children of Single Parent Families: How They Fare as Young Adults

Abstract

Using data from a survey of 19 to 34 year olds in a Midwestern metropolitan county, this paper investigates differences in how persons raised in single parent families and traditional two parent families are faring in early adulthood. Results indicate that compared to their counterparts from traditional two parent families, young adults raised by single parents (primarily single mothers) tend to have lower educational, occupational and economic attainment. Differences between the two groups are also observed in family formation and marital stability. The economic disadvantage of the single parent background is clearly responsible for some of these differences, but significant differences in economic attainment, marital stability, and the timing of parenthood still remain after controlling for this factor. Possible implications of these findings for improving the life chances of children from single parent families are discussed.

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