Income Sources Across Childhood in Families With Nonresident Fathers

Paula Fomby, Hope Harvey, Kelly Musick

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Unpartnered mothers rely on formal and informal income sources to support their coresident minor children. Building on work focusing on selective populations and shorter time horizons, we describe the family income sources on which U.S. women and their minor children rely for up to 17 years following an unpartnered birth or union dissolution (Panel Study of Income Dynamics 2001–2017; N = 12,369 person-year records from 3,148 children). Using rich description and fixed-effect models, we treat family income as dynamic, mapping change in the share and amount of family income from multiple sources as children age and women gain employment experience; enter new unions; experience changes in eligibility for public support programs; and receive contributions from kin, friends, and other household members. A patchwork of income sources is the norm throughout childhood, with mothers’ earnings nearly universal but insuffi cient as a sole source of family income. Maternal repartnering increases family income through new partner earnings but is accompanied by offsetting reductions in other income sources, particularly from outside the household. In the context of weak institutional support for U.S. families, families with nonresident fathers rely on a complex mix of income sources to make ends meet.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)41-72
Number of pages32
JournalDemography
Volume60
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors.

Keywords

  • Family income
  • Father nonresidence
  • Income transfers
  • Unpartnered parenthood

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Demography

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