Lone Mothers: What is to be done?

Himmelweit, Susan; Bergmann, Barbara; Green, Kate; Albelda, Randy and Koren, Charlotte (2004). Lone Mothers: What is to be done? Feminist Economics, 10(2) pp. 237–264.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1354570042000217793

Abstract

This Dialogue presents the views of four authors, from the US, the UK, and Norway, on the best policies to help lone mothers. Lone mothers face an inevitable dilemma in allocating their time between earning income and caring for their children. The low-earning capacity of women in an unequal labor market exacerbates the problem, causing material hardship for many lone mothers and their families. The policy solutions proposed lie along a spectrum, ranging from those that seek to enable all lone mothers to take employment to those that aim to let mothers choose whether to take employment or care for their children themselves. Other policies discussed concern ways to value and support caregiving, improve the low-wage labor market for women, and provide a set of income supports that would both boost income and provide time to care for children.