Single-Parent Families, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage

While the traditional family of husband and wife living in one household — either with or without children — remains the most common family type, it has declined as a proportion of all families from 71 percent in 1970 to 55 percent in 1994. At the same time, the proportion of families with a single parent has grown from 11 percent to 16 percent. Other family types without children comprise the remaining 29 percent of families. The large majority (81 percent) of single-parent families are headed by women. Individuals in these families often live in poverty, and many do not receive adequate health insurance protection from either public or private programs