Our child support system is broken—10 million children are paying the price
"Do I pay the electric bill or buy groceries this week?"
This isn't hypothetical. It's a daily calculation millions of single mothers make.
I spend most of my time helping women become mothers on their own terms. But today, I want to focus on a topic affecting more than 7 million women—our broken child support system.
I was honored to be interviewed by Christine Michel Carter of Forbes Women about this issue. (Read Part 1 and Part 2 of the article)
As a single mother myself, I know how critical financial stability is to raising healthy children.
But unlike me, most women aren't single mothers by choice.
Our child support system is meant to support single mothers, but it’s failing millions of women.
Single mothers account for nearly 80% of all single-parent households—7.3 million families compared to just 1.6 million single-father families.
The average monthly child support payment in 2021 was only $441. That's $5,300 per year—if paid in full.
Can you imagine raising your child on that amount?
And often, the payments don't come. Only 43% of custodial parents receive the full amount they're owed each year. The average custodial parent receives about $3,347 annually—less than the cost of daycare for a few months.
The cost of raising a child is closer to $20,000 per year in 2025 when adjusted for inflation from the USDA's 2015 estimate of $12,980.
Picture a mother earning $45,000, owed $441 monthly but receiving only $279 because payments are sporadic. That missing $162 isn't just a number—it's groceries, utilities, or medical co-pays she skips. It's the difference between stability and constant crisis.
Is it any wonder that 31% of single mothers live below the poverty line?
Most child support agreements don't even include cost-of-living adjustments. Support amounts remain frozen while costs rise.
So what happens?
Single mothers shoulder the burden. They work double shifts, stretch every dollar, and make impossible choices. It's kids going without basic needs.
And who suffers most? The children—growing up watching their mothers sacrifice everything, living in constant anxiety and uncertainty.
We can't accept this as normal.
While systemic change takes time, we're not powerless.
The holidays are approaching—a season when expenses and emotions run high for struggling families.
If you have a single mother in your life, consider how you can lighten her load: Buy her family dinner. Watch the kids so she can rest. Let her know you see everything she's doing.
Don't know any single mothers personally? Consider supporting organizations that help:
One out of every three children in the U.S. is being raised by a single parent—usually a single mother.
This holiday season, let's turn awareness into action and give these mothers the support our system isn’t.
