Resources
A page within Self Sufficiency Program
Topic: Student Parents and Time Poverty
Student Parents and Time Poverty
by Andrea Hansen, former SSP Director, Fall 2023
Back to school is for adults too! Parenting students who make up 22% of all undergrads know well the effort and hours required to complete each course and every semester...<read full article>
National report: Elevating Their Voices: What Single Mothers Say They Need to Survive
Elevating Their Voices: What Single Mothers Say They Need to Survive
(Actionable Insights from Jeremiah Program's Annual 2026 Summit Convening)
by Poonam Gupta, Baris Tezel, Elaine Waxman, June 3, 2026
The Jeremiah Program and the Urban Institute unveiled the national report Elevating Their Voices: What Single Mothers Say They Need to Survive. According to the report, 97% of respondents experienced some form of housing hardship in the past year, 85% reported food insecurity, and 72% reported difficulty paying medical bills.
"I feel that this is an extremely powerful time, especially for single moms, as our voices are finally being heard on a level that's not just community-based but national." Nicole Carlson, 2025-2026 Jeremiah Program Alumni Fellow
Research report: Policy Levers to Support Single-Mother Economic Mobility: An Evidence-Based Agenda
Research report: Policy Levers to Support Single-Mother Economic Mobility: An Evidence-Based Agenda
by Elaine Waxman, Poonam Gupta, Baris Tezel, April 2, 2025
Single mothers represent a large segment of parenting Americans. Approximately 30 percent of households with children were led by single parents in 2023, the majority of which were single mothers who face elevated rates of poverty and material hardship. Further, this population is not prioritized in the country’s social safety net. In this report, we present a set of evidence-based policy levers across a range of sectors that support single mothers’ economic and social mobility and improve outcomes for their families.
Why This Matters...<read full report>
Newsletter article: Economic Mobility Is Essential to Family Wellbeing—and to Society by Chastity Lord
Economic Mobility Is Essential to Family Wellbeing—and to Society
by Chastity Lord, June 10, 2026
For too long, the United States has treated poverty as a problem to manage rather than a system to redesign. We have built programs to help children succeed while often overlooking the structural barriers the adults raising them must face. For single mothers, those barriers are not incidental. They shape whether a family can remain housed, nourished, healthy, educated, and economically secure.
'The expanded Child Tax Credit helped drive child poverty to a historic low in 2021. After the expansion expired, the child poverty rate more than doubled in 2022.'
'Our systems still assume a narrow model of work and family life. Single mothers are living beyond that model. Policy must catch up.'
'Economic mobility is family wellbeing infrastructure.' <read full article>
Student-Parent Action through Research Knowledge
Student-Parent Action through Research Knowledge
SPARK is a values-driven, action-oriented, big-tent community empowering parents pursuing ambitious education goals. SPARK is led by champions from the Urban Institute, The Pregnant Scholar, and Child Trends. Through innovative tools and collaborative spaces, they support research, investment, policy change, and direct services for student parents. SPARK invites you to become part of the change.
SPARK currently offers:
- A website of valuable tools, insights, and references for the field.
- Compilations of events, resources, jobs (members only), and funding opportunities (members only).
- A community within constellations on Circle.
Not a member yet? Joining is free!
Who Are Undergraduates with Dependent Children?
Who Are Undergraduates with Dependent Children? An Updated Overview of Student-Parent Characteristics Using 2020 Data
Spark Collaborative Brief > September 2024
Theresa Anderson, URBAN INSTITUTE
Afet Dundar, INSTITUTE FOR WOMEN’S POLICY RESEARCH
Sheron Gittens, URBAN INSTITUTE, STAR FELLOW
Renee Ryberg, CHILD TRENDS
Rebecca Schreiber, URBAN INSTITUTE, STAR FELLOW
Laney Taylor, CHILD TRENDS
Jessica Warren, CHILD TRENDS/UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
Kate Westaby, URBAN INSTITUTE
The brief is a result of a collaborative effort across multiple organizations. In the spirit of this successful collaboration, the authors are listed in alphabetical order.
More than 3 million undergraduate students in the United States are parents, representing nearly one in five college students. Supporting student parents promotes their academic achievement and enhances their family well-being, supports college enrollment and completion goals, and can boost state economic health. This brief uses the latest available data to summarize key characteristics of undergraduate students with dependent children. <Read full Brief>
SSP Locally Grown Scholarship Breakfast Programs (Archive)
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