Moms are resilient but they are also human. Facing stigma, and constant financial hardships leading to poverty can take its toll. With the rising costs of essential living expenses, stress caused by never making ends meet can have a huge impact on children and family life. Poverty can also have long-term affects on children and family dynamics.

Many children growing up in poverty can experience mental health problems including hyperactivity and depression. Their working mothers have to sacrifice time with their child(ren) due to inflexible work schedules often associated with low-wage jobs. Many single moms have to juggle multiple low-paying jobs to make ends meet. Many go back to school and work part-time, to gain skills they need to get better paying jobs. These inflexible schedules mean moms not being present for their children, which can negatively impact the wellbeing of themselves and their children.

The Family Stress Model illustrates how poverty can contribute to stress, depression, and can negatively impact the wellbeing of children. Financial stress can also affect the parent-child relationship and cause tension in the home. Parents not being present may also give rise to relationship tension between the parent and child. Resentment towards the parent for not being able to spend enough time with their children because of work can have a long-lasting impact on children and family dynamics. But moms often have no choice, having ultimatums like paying rent or putting food on the table.

The reality is that the next generation is largely comprised of children being raised by single mothers. One in four children in Canada under the age of eighteen are being raised by a single mother. Over 80% of single parent families on welfare are single mother-led and statistics show that children raised by single mothers have educational deficiencies, engage in risky behaviour at a younger age, and often have lower occupational status and income as adults.

Single Mom Strategies is a non-profit organization that supports mothers and children by providing support to families facing various poverty-related struggles. By providing single moms and their children with essential needs and connecting them to a community, we hope to empower moms and their children, and help end poverty that can lead to mental health issues, housing, and food insecurity. We want them to change their mindset from having no way out, to having hope.