Female-headed Households and Poverty: A Case Study of Genesee County

Abstract

Traditionally women have made the major investment in family life. The biological function of motherhood with its physical requirements of pregnancy and nursing often makes some interruption in labor force participation necessary. Women increasingly opt to return to the paid labor force as quickly as possible because marriage offers much less security. When divorce occurs in a family with minor children, in more than nine of ten cases the woman becomes the custodial parent, and over half of the fathers ordered to pay child support fail to do so (Weitzman, 1986). Despite the increasing numbers of women in the labor force, inequities still persist in pay and position. Women who try to combine family and work life often accept part-time employment which carries high penalties. Lack of affordable child care prevents many women, particularly those who make low incomes, from getting and keeping a job. The governmental response has been at best a token. Computations for poverty line income do not even recognize child care as an expense. In all states except Alaska the welfare program used by women and their children does not provide an income above the national poverty level.