Lone parenthood

About one in four Canadian families with children, or 1.4 million families, was headed by a lone parent in 2002. This represents a 58% increase from 1986 whereas two parent families only increased by 10% over the same time frame. A portion of the increase can be attributed to the rise in lone parents who had never been married. Most, however, were on their own because of a break-up or loss of a spouse: in 2000, about one-third of all lone parents were divorced, roughly one-quarter were separated and a fifth were widowed.

The proportion of lone-parent families in all family types did not increase substantially throughout the 20th century. What has changed is the reason why parents are alone. In the 1950s and 1960s, more than 60% of lone parents were widowed. This proportion fell to 20% in the 1990s as a result of the growing incidence of divorce, separation and birth outside marriage. Divorce has become the main cause of lone parenthood.

In 2001, 81% of lone-parent families were headed by a woman, since mothers usually retain custody after a divorce. The growing financial independence of women and the social acceptance of lone mothers make it feasible for some women to raise their children alone. However, many lone mothers and their children experience economic hardship.