Is there a solution to the single-parent crisis? Not an easy one, say the experts and the people who try to help single parents and their children. But they are trying. Policy experts and advocates for the poor are trying to find solutions. Those solutions, says a Brookings Institution economist, must address both generations caught in the crisis: the parents and their children.
A nine-month investigation by the newsroom revealed that the inability to lower the poverty rate for families with children in Maine is due in large part to a change in the makeup of the state’s families.
FEATURED STORY:
Removing the obstacles to school and work helps struggling single mothers escape the trap they’re in
Is there a solution to the single-parent crisis? Not an easy one, say the experts and the people who try to help single mothers and their children. But they are trying.
All Stories:
In-Depth: The full interview with Isabel Sawhill
When senior reporter Naomi Schalit began her nine months of research for our series on Maine’s single parents in poverty, one of her first stops was Isabel Sawhill’s office at the Brookings Institution. You’ll find many quotes from Sawhill in Schalit’s five-part series; here is the complete interview transcript.
500% rise in single parenthood fueling family poverty in Maine
A nine-month investigation reveals that the inability to lower the poverty rate in Maine is due in part to a change in the makeup of the state’s families.
One wrong guy and an ‘endless struggle’ for a single mom
Part 2: The story of one single mother speaks to the struggles shared by many single parents in Maine. “Every week’s the same,” she said. “I’m always broke. The electric, internet, diapers, toiletries, food when we run out of my food card…”
Chaos in the classroom: Too many kids not ready and able to learn
Veteran teachers and school officials are on the front lines of the crisis of the growth of children coming from poor families, many with just one parent at home. Their experiences show the impact of the changing face of the Maine family.