2007 Maine Marks |
Indicator: Children Living In Female Headed Households Below the Poverty Level
Outcome (s): Families having opportunities to work and play
Why This is Important
Being raised in economically deprived circumstances can have far-reaching negative consequences for children. Several factors contribute to the economic status of this segment of female headed family households including the availability of jobs that pay a living wage, the gender disparity in job income, the educational levels of single female parents in poverty, the availability of affordable, quality child care services, and the availability of health insurance for underemployed parents and their children.
Where We Stand
In Maine in 2005, approximately 65% of all the households were Family Households and of those, 42% were family households with own children under the age of 18. Of all types of households, 15% were those of single Female Headed Households. Of these 51,806 female headed households, 66%, or 34,500 were households with own children under the age of 18.
The first chart above displays estimates for the total number of Maine Female Headed Households with No Husband present that were Below the Poverty Level in the Past 12 Months – those households with own children under the age of 18.
Census data in 2005 indicate that approximately 39% of female headed households with children under age 18 live below the federal poverty level in Maine. In 2004, the percentage of female headed households with children under 18 was estimated at 44%, down to 41% in 2003 and at 44% in 2002.
Data at the national level is displayed in the second chart and shows that in recent years, the rate of female headed households with children stood at a similar rate, ranging from about 38% to 42%. 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 Source and Context
Data are drawn from the US Census Bureau American Community Surveys as well as the Current Population Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics and US Census, which can be accessed at http://factfinder.census.gov.