Education and training program in the hospital APR.pptx
Marriage Poverty - Idaho
1. Marriage:
Idaho’s No. 1 Weapon
Against
Childhood Poverty
How the Collapse of Marriage Hurts Children
and Three Steps to Reverse the Damage
A Heritage Foundation Book of Charts • 2012
Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society
2. Growth of Out-of-Wedlock Childbearing in Idaho, 1929–2010
In 2010, 26.5 percent of chil- PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
dren in Idaho were born outside
marriage. This was very high by 50%
historic state standards. Before
World War II, only one percent of
children in Idaho were born out- 40.8%
40%
side marriage. By 1980, the
number had risen to 8 percent.
Over the last three decades the
rate has risen rapidly. 30%
Note: Data on non-marital births in 26.5%
Idaho are unavailable between 1945
and 1977. However, all states that have
data for this period show rates which 20%
parallel the national trend displayed in
the chart. In these states, the non- National
marital birth rates remained low until
the onset of the federal War on Idaho
Poverty in the mid-1960s, and then 10%
began to rise steadily. The Idaho unwed
birth rate between 1943 and 1979
very likely parallels the overall national
trend.
0%
Sources: U.S. Government, U.S. Census
Bureau, and National Center for Health 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Statistics.
Chart 1 • Marriage and Poverty in Idaho heritage.org
3. In Idaho, Marriage Drops the Probability of Child Poverty
by 79 Percent
The rapid rise in out-of- PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN THAT ARE POOR
wedlock childbearing is a major 45%
cause of high levels of child pov-
erty in Idaho. 40% 38.5%
Some 38.5 percent of single
mothers with children are poor 35%
compared to 8 percent of married
couples with children. 30%
Single-parent families with 25%
children are five times more likely
to be poor than families in which 20%
the parents are married.
The higher poverty rate among 15%
single-mother families is due both
to the lower education levels of 10% 8.0%
the mothers and the lower income
due to the absence of the father. 5%
0%
Single-Parent, Married,Two-Parent
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Female-Headed Families
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data. Families
Chart 2 • Marriage and Poverty in Idaho heritage.org
4. In Idaho, One-Quarter of All Families with Children Are Not Married
Overall, married couples head
about three-quarters of families
with children in Idaho. More than
one-quarter are single-parent
families.
Unmarried
Families
26.8%
Married
Families
73.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 3 • Marriage and Poverty in Idaho heritage.org
5. In Idaho, 59 Percent of Poor Families with Children Are Not Married
Among poor families with
children in Idaho, six in ten are
not married. By contrast, only 41.1
percent of poor families with
children are headed by married
couples.
Married
Families
Unmarried 41.1%
Families
58.9%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 4 • Marriage and Poverty in Idaho heritage.org
6. In Idaho, Few Unwed Births Occur to Teenagers
Out-of-wedlock births are PERCENTAGE OF OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS
often confused erroneously with BY AGE OF MOTHER
teen births, but only 9 percent of
out-of-wedlock births in Idaho Under
occur to girls under age 18. Age 18:
9.0%
By contrast, some 77 percent of
out-of-wedlock births occur to Age
young adult women between the 30–54:
ages of 18 and 29. 13.8%
Age
18–19:
17.3%
Age
25–29:
21.6%
Age
20–24:
38.3%
Note: Figures have been rounded.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS
data.
Chart 5 • Marriage and Poverty in Idaho heritage.org
7. Less-Educated Women Are More Likely to Give Birth
Outside of Marriage
Unwed childbearing occurs PERCENTAGE OF BIRTHS THAT ARE MARITAL
most frequently among the OR OUT OF WEDLOCK
women who will have the greatest 3.4%
100% Unmarried
difficulty supporting children by Mothers
90% 17.7%
themselves: those with low levels
of education. 80% 36.9%
In Idaho, among women who 53.6%
are high school dropouts, about 70%
53.6 percent of all births occur 60%
outside marriage. Among women 96.6% Married
who have only a high school 50%
Mothers
diploma, nearly four in ten births 82.3%
40%
occur outside marriage. By con-
trast, among women with at least a 30% 63.1%
college degree, only 3.4 percent of 46.4%
births are out of wedlock. 20%
10%
0%
High School High School Some College Mother’s
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Dropout Graduate College Graduate education
Human Services, Centers for Disease (0–11 (12 (13–15 (16+ level
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS
data. Years) Years) Years) Years)
Chart 6 • Marriage and Poverty in Idaho heritage.org
8. Both Marriage and Education Are Highly Effective
in Reducing Child Poverty in Idaho
The poverty rate of married PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES Poverty Rate of Families by
couples with children is dramati- WITH CHILDREN THAT Single
Education and Marital Status
cally lower than the rate for house- ARE POOR Married
of the Head of Household
holds headed by single parents. 60%
This is true even when the married
couple is compared to single par- 50.3%
ents with the same education level. 50%
For example, in Idaho, the
poverty rate for a single mother 40% 38.0%
who has only a high school
30.0%
diploma is 38 percent, but the 30%
poverty rate for a married couple 24.3%
family headed by an individual 20%
who, similarly, has only a high
13.1%
school degree is far lower at 9.6 9.6%
percent. 10% 7.3%
3.0%
On average, marriage drops the
poverty rate by around 70 percent 0%
High School High School Some College
among families with the same
Dropout Graduate College Graduate
education level.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Note: Virtually none of the heads of families in the chart who are high school
Community Survey, 2005–2009 data. dropouts are minor teenagers.
Chart 7 • Marriage and Poverty in Idaho heritage.org
9. Unwed Birth Rates Vary Strongly by Race in Idaho
Out-of-wedlock childbearing PERCENT OF BIRTHS THAT ARE OUT OF WEDLOCK
varies considerably by race.
50%
In 2008 (the most recent year
for which racial breakdown is 8.3% 43.3%
available), over one in four births
(25.3 percent) in Idaho occurred 40% 37.7%
outside marriage. The rate was
lowest among white non-
Hispanics, at about one in five
births (21 percent). 30%
25.3%
Among non-Hispanic blacks,
nearly four in ten births (37.7 21.0%
percent) were to unmarried 20%
women. Among Hispanics, well
over four in ten births (43.3 per-
cent) were out of wedlock.
10%
0%
Source: U.S. Department of Health and All Races White Black Hispanic
Human Services, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS Non- Non-
data. Hispanic Hispanic
Chart 8 • Marriage and Poverty in Idaho heritage.org
10. Racial Composition of All Births and Out-of-Wedlock Births in Idaho
In Idaho in 2008, some 79 percent ALL BIRTHS OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS
of all births occurred to non-Hispanic
whites, 16.1 percent occurred to
Hispanics, 1.6 percent occurred to
Asians, and 1.4 percent occurred to
American Indians.
Because blacks, Hispanics, and 79.0% White Non- 65.6%
American Indians are more likely to Hispanic
have children without being married,
they account for disproportionately
larger shares of all out-of-wedlock
births. Even so, the largest number of
unwed births are to white non-
Hispanic women.
In Idaho in 2008, 65.6 percent of
all non-marital births were to white
non-Hispanic women, 27.6 percent 27.6%
were to Hispanic women, 3.6 percent 16.1% Hispanic
were to American Indian women,
and 0.9 percent were to blacks.
1.6% Asian/Pacific Islander 1.0%
1.4% American Indian 3.6%
1.3% Not Stated/Other 1.3%
Source: U.S. Department of Health and 0.6% Black Non-Hispanic 0.9%
Human Services, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS
data. Note: Figures have been rounded.
Chart 9 • Marriage and Poverty in Idaho heritage.org
11. Non-Married White Families Are Six Times More Likely to Be Poor
in Idaho
Marriage leads to lower pov- PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
erty rates for whites, Hispanics,
American Indians, and blacks.
30% 28.3%
For example, in 2009, the pov-
erty rate for married white families
in Idaho was 4.6 percent. But the 25%
poverty rate for non-married white
families was nearly six times
higher at 28.3 percent. 20%
15%
10%
4.6%
5%
0%
Married Families Non-Married Families
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 10 • Marriage and Poverty in Idaho heritage.org
12. Non-Married Hispanic Families Are Nearly Three Times More Likely
to Be Poor in Idaho
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
Hispanic married families in Idaho
was 18.1 percent, while the pov-
50%
erty rate among non-married 46.6%
families was nearly three times 45%
higher at 46.6 percent.
40%
35%
30%
25%
20% 18.1%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Married Families Non-Married Families
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 11 • Marriage and Poverty in Idaho heritage.org
13. Non-Married American Indian Families Are Four Times More Likely
to Be Poor in Idaho
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
American Indian married families
in Idaho was 10.4 percent, while
50%
the poverty rate among non-
married families was four times 45%
43.6%
higher at 43.6 percent.
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10.4%
10%
5%
0%
Married Families Non-Married Families
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 12 • Marriage and Poverty in Idaho heritage.org
14. Non-Married Black Families Are Three Times More Likely to Be Poor
in Idaho
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
married black couples in Idaho
was 18.2 percent, while the pov- 60%
erty rate for non-married black 55.5%
families was three times higher at
55.5 percent. 50%
40%
30%
20% 18.2%
10%
0%
Married Families Non-Married Families
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.
Chart 13 • Marriage and Poverty in Idaho heritage.org
15. Three Steps to Reduce Child Poverty through Marriage
1) Provide information on the benefits of marriage in reducing child poverty
and improving child well-being.
Marriage is a highly effective institution which greatly decreases parental and child
poverty while improving long-term outcomes for children. Conversely, the absence of
marriage greatly increases welfare costs and imposes added burdens on taxpayers.
Unfortunately, almost no information on these topics is available in low-income
communities. This information deficit should be corrected in the following manner:
• Explain the benefits of marriage in middle and high schools with a high
proportion of at-risk youth;
• Create public education campaigns in low-income communities on the
benefits of marriage; and,
• Require federally funded birth control clinics to provide information on the
benefits of marriage and the skills needed to develop stable families to
interested low-income clients.
2) Reduce anti-marriage penalties in means-tested welfare programs.
3) Promote life-goal-planning, marriage-strengthening, and divorce-reduction
programs to increase healthy marriages and reduce divorce and separation.
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