Tim Casey and Laurie Maldonado, over at Legal Momentum, have released a report titled Worst-Off: Single-Parent Families in the United States, A Cross-National Comparison of Single Parenthood in the U.S. and Sixteen Other High-Income Countries. It's a glimpse of reality that every policymaker in this country should read.
(In fact, I encourage you to personally send it to the elected officials in your state and tell them where you stand on issues that affect single parent families.)
Some of the entitlements that other countries provide all parents include paid maternity leave and paid leave to care for a sick child -- benefits that would make it easier for single parents to balance the demands of raising children with the demands of sustaining gainful employment.
Some countries even step in and pay child support to low-income families when the obligor cannot, or does not, make payments. (Imagine how much more motivated the Office of Child Support Enforcement would be to collect non-payment if missing payments came out of their budget.)
So let's dream a little . . . Read the report. If you could pick one benefit and make it happen here in the U.S., which one would you choose and why? What else do you wish policymakers would implement here? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.
Don't Miss:
- Find Help for Single Parents in Your State
- Grants for Single Moms & Dads
- How to File for Child Support
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