Lone Mothers: What is to be done? |
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| Authors: | Susan Himmelweit Barbara Bergmann Kate Green Randy Albelda Charlotte Koren |
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| Institution: | 1. Open University , Faculty of Social Sciences , Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK E-mail: S.F.Himmelweit@open.ac.uk;2. 5430 41st Place NW, Washington, DC 20015, USA E-mail: bbergman@wam.umd.edu;3. One Parent Families , 255 Kentish Town Road, London, NW5 2LX, UK E-mail: info@oneparentfamilies.org.uk;4. University of Massachusetts , Boston , Boston, MA 02125, USA E-mail: randy.albelda@umb.edu;5. NOVA – Norwegian Social Research , Postboks 3223, Elisenberg, N-0208 Oslo, Norway E-mail: charlotte.koren@nova.no |
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| 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. |
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| Keywords: | Lone mothers care work poverty work?–?life balance family policy welfare state |
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