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NEW STATISTICS ON MOTHERHOOD

by | Aug 21, 2012 | Family Law

The 2012 U.S. Census Bureau statistics on motherhood in America paint a complex picture. The number of single mothers living with children under 18 has almost tripled in the past 30-40 years. Over five million mothers had child support orders that were unpaid as of 2009. More than 55% of mothers who recently gave birth were working to support themselves and their children, as of 2010. More children are in daycare than ever before, and that number is growing. There were more than 800,000 daycare centers in the United States by 2009.

Our children are our future. But we must keep in mind that the health and welfare of children and mothers are inextricably linked. That is why mothers deserve our support.

Here are some interesting statistics on motherhood in America . . .

According to 2012 U.S. Census Bureau Statistics
Single Moms
10.0 million
The number of single mothers living with children younger than 18 in 2011, up from 3.4 million in 1970.
Source: America’s Families and Living Arrangements
5.2 million
The number of custodial mothers who were due child support in 2009.
Source: Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support: 2009
38%
In 2010, of the 3.7 million women 15 to 44 years old who had a birth in the last year, 1.4 million (39 percent) were women who were not married, who were separated, or married but with an absent spouse.
Source: Fertility of American Women: 2010
In 2008, this number was 1.5 million. Of those mothers, 425,000 (28 percent) were living with a cohabiting partner.
Source: Fertility of American Women: 2008
Recent Births
4.13 million
The number of births registered in the United States in 2009. Of this number, 409,840 were to teens 15 to 19 and 7,934 to women age 45 to 54.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics
25.1
The average age of women in 2008 when they gave birth for the first time, up from 25.0 years in 2006 and 2007. The mean age from 2007 to 2008 reflects, in part, the relatively large decline in births to women under age 25 compared with the small decline for women in the 25-39 age bracket.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics
55%
Percentage of mothers with a birth in 2010 who were in the labor force. This decreased from 57 percent in 2008.
Source: Fertility of American Women: 2010
27.3%
The percentage of mothers who had given birth in the past 12 months who had a bachelor’s degree or higher. Among states, New Hampshire had the highest percentage of recent mothers in this category with 48 percent. Mothers in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Maryland also had percentages higher than the national average.
Source: Fertility of American Women: 2008
83%
Percentage of women age 15 to 44 with at least a high school diploma who gave birth in the last year. For women aged 30 to 44, the figure was 90 percent.
Source: Fertility of American Women: 2010
How Many Mothers
85.4 million
Estimated number of mothers in the United States in 2009.
Source: Survey of Income and Program Participation, unpublished tabulations
4.0 million
The number of women between the ages of 15 and 50 who gave birth in the past 12 months.
Source: Fertility of American Women: 2008
53%
Percentage of 15- to 50-year-old women who were mothers in 2010.
Source: Fertility of American Women: 2010 
81%
Percentage of women who had become mothers by age 40 to 44 as of 2010. In 1976, 90 percent of women in that age group had given birth.
Source: Fertility of American Women: 2010 
Employed Moms (and Moms-to-Be)
55%
The proportion of mothers in 2010 with a recent birth who were in the labor force decreased slightly from 57 percent in 2008.
Source: Fertility of American Women: 2010 
In 2008, among states with higher than average levels of new mothers who were unemployed, the highest proportions were in Alabama and Delaware (10 percent) followed by Michigan, Alaska, Arkansas, North Dakota, and South Carolina (9 percent), along with several other states in the southeast United States.
Source: Fertility of American Women: 2008
805,137
The number of child care centers across the country in 2009. These included 75,396 centers employing 869,468 workers and another 729,741 self-employed people or other businesses without paid employees. Many mothers turn to these centers to help juggle motherhood and careers.
Source: County Business Patterns: 2009 and Non-employer Statistics: 2009
Stay-at-Home Moms
5 million
The number of stay-at-home moms in 2011 — same as in 2010 and down from 5.1 million in 2009 and 5.3 million in 2008 (the estimates for 2010 and 2009 are not statistically different). In 2011, 23 percent of married-couple family groups with children under 15 had a stay-at-home mother, up from 21 percent in 2000. In 2007, before the recession, stay-at-home mothers were found in 24 percent of married-couple family groups with children under 15.
Source: America’s Families and Living Arrangements
Compared with other moms, stay-at-home moms in 2007 were more likely:
·         Younger (44 percent were under age 35 compared with 38 percent of mothers in the labor force).
·         Hispanic (27 percent compared with 16 percent of mothers in the labor force).
·         Foreign-born (34 percent compared with 19 percent of mothers in the labor force).
·         Living with a child under age 5 (57 percent compared with 43 percent of mothers in the labor force).
Source: America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2007

Gary J. Frank is an Arizona Family Law attorney and former Judge Pro Tem with over thirty years of experience. He is a strong and compassionate advocate for his clients. Our law firm handles all matters involving Family Law, including divorce, custody, parenting issues, child support, enforcement actions, modification actions, paternity, and grandparent and non-parent rights, as well as the division of property and businesses.  If you are in need of a consultation to learn about your legal rights, please do not hesitate. Contact us today. You can reach us by telephone (602-922-9989) or through our website at www.famlawaz.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

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DISCLAIMER: Over time, new laws are enacted and existing laws are often revised or taken off the books; and new appellate court cases interpreting the laws are constantly being handed down by the higher courts. The information in our blog posts was accurate when written, but because the law is always changing, that information may not be current later, when the blog post is read. Therefore, if you have a legal issue, it is best to speak with an attorney in order to assure that the information you receive is up to date.

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