Single-Parent Families

Single-parent families is a general term used to describe a situation where one parent (rather than two) holds the primary parenting responsibility for a child or children without the help of the other partner or spouse. However, there are different aspects of single-parent families. Some single-parent families rely solely on the custodial parent, while shared custody and support exist with others. It is important to remember that every family’s situation is unique and that not all families will be alike. For example, many single parents pressure themselves to conduct their families and function as nuclear families; however, in many cases that is not possible and might be unrealistic considering the stressors and obstacles single parents are tasked with overcoming. This entry briefly introduces single-parent research ...