Jeff Goodman is a consultant to non-profits after a 20 year career in corporate finance and a member of L.A. 5 Rotary Club  He called his speech “The most significant change in American culture in the last 40 years”.

When asked what that change was, we guessed  that it was technology, globalization and the few others but Jeff’s presentation addressed the rise and perpetuation of the cycle of single mothers and poverty.

Historically until 1930’s the rate of single mothers was 2-3% of the births.  Thereafter the number has increased.

In 1966 the “War on Poverty” legislation provided benefits for unmarried mothers with children.  Unfortunately there was an unintended consequence – not getting married and having more children had a bigger payoff.  A cycle of single motherhood and multi-generational poverty ensued.

An effort was made to correct this with the 1996 Welfare Reform legislation which required work after 2 years and to be off the welfare program after 5.  A small reduction occurred but recent data show non-marital births at 40%. of live births.  As a result there is decreased opportunity for the mothers and a cycle of welfare, poverty, violence and crime.

• 71% of those in poverty are single mothers with children.  10% are expected to escape poverty as adults.
• A non-married couple, with a boyfriend involved has 33x more risk of child abuse.
• Fatherless homes are the biggest source of juvenile crime.

There are several proposed solutions to help our society help itself:

1.   LARC – Long-Acting, Reversible Contraception that give women control over when they have children and what environment they bring them into.  The state of Colorado has offered them for free at clinics producing a 40% reduction in unwed births in the under 25 age group.
2. Eliminate the means test/ Marital penalty – Statistics are much better for married couples. The marriage institution should be encouraged, not penalized.
3. Increase Education –  Creative charter schools that have high college acceptance support this statistic: College education is the single greatest indicator for those getting out of poverty.  We need to look at the successful charter schools and model after them  in high risk neighborhood.
4. Relocation – kids in poverty moved to a middle class neighborhood, even with the cost of increased government subsidy cost less to society in the long run.