Although married couples are now and always have been by far the most common family group in the United States, one of the most profound changes seen in society in the past half-century has been the massive increase in the number of families being run by single parents. This is having a significant impact on poverty in the country for a number of very important reasons.

Back in 1970, only 3.8 million households were headed by a single parent. However, by 2006 there were 12.9 million such families, and by 2011, there were 14.4 million. In all, more than 20 million children lived with a single parent in 2011. Those numbers represent a significant societal change. Women are approximately five times as likely to be ...

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