The absence of a parent in the household leaves single mothers at a disadvantage when it comes to providing for children. The ability for children to participate in sports or other extra-curricular activities including tutoring and music lessons are just a few examples that can be restricted due to socio-economic status. Historically 52% of single mothers were living in poverty over the past 25 years. The term single parent is referred to as a person who has never been married, or who is separated, divorced, not currently living with a legal or common law practice, or widowed with children. Poverty is a conceptual term that is constructed of a myriad of social, cultural and political ideas surrounding the phenomena I will be using the word poverty to describe the lack of economic capital and material possessions to fulfill a families basic needs.
