Indicator: 43 - Children Living in Female-Headed Households Below the Poverty Line

Why This Is Important

Being raised in economically deprived circumstances can have far-reaching negative consequences for children. The chances of a child experiencing poverty are strongly influenced by the type of family in which he or she lives. Throughout the period from 1970 through 1996, nationally about half of the children living in female-headed families were poor. In contrast, during the 1990s, only about 10% of children living in married-couple families were poor.

Where We Stand

There appears to be no baseline data on this indicator specifically for Maine; the developers of Maine Marks are committed to complete reporting on this indicator for the next report, depending upon state-level data availability. Available national data appears in the chart below.

The chart shows that in recent years over half of the children under age 18 in female-headed households have lived below the poverty level. Poverty income is based on money income and does not include non-cash benefits, such as Food Stamps. Poverty thresholds reflect family size and composition and are adjusted each year using the annual average Consumer Price Index (CPI). The poverty threshold for a family of four was $16,036 in 1996, and $17,603 in 2000. Related children include biological children, stepchildren, and adopted children of the householder and all other children in the household related to the householder by blood, marriage, or adoption.

Data Sources and Context

The national data is from the U.S. Census Bureau, Historical Poverty Tables. This data is available on-line at http://www.census.gov/hhes/poverty/histpov10.html.