Who Supports Children Post-Separation? An Analysis of Income Sources by Custody Type in 7 Countries

• In Event: Policies Affecting Separated Families Around the World

Abstract

A substantive body of research has shown that the presence of children and associated expenses is a crucial determinant of the poverty risk faced by single mothers (Cancian & Reed, 2009; McLanahan & Sandefur, 2009), especially for those coming out of a romantic union (Mortelmans, 2020). Child-related expenses can vary by the amount of time children spend with the mother (Bartfeld & Chanda, 2023); if children spend all or most overnights with the mother, an arrangement known as sole physical custody (SPC), then mothers are mostly responsible for bearing the direct costs of rearing children but are generally also entitled to public or private transfers such as child support to mitigate these expenses. If, however, children spend substantial amounts of time with each parent (joint physical custody or JPC), mothers can share some of the child-related costs with the other parent and transfers play a smaller role in household economic resources. As such, single mothers’ labor income is often insufficient to meet their economic needs, and they must rely on other income sources to support a post-dissolution household. These sources can be either formal or informal, and their composition may vary as they gain employment and re-partner (Fomby et al., 2023). Importantly, state policy contexts, and the extent to which they support family economic well-being can mitigate or exacerbate the poverty risk of single mothers (Orloff, 2009). As JPC increases, albeit unequally, across the developed world (Steinbach et al., 2021), it is important to understand which sources of income matter the most for keeping custodial mothers and their children out of poverty, how this differs by children’s living arrangements, and the extent to which welfare states have a role to play in this relationship.

In this study we examine the family income sources of children in separated mother-headed families, in six European Union countries (Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Belgium, France, and Spain) and the United States, comparing between SPC and JPC families. We harmonize data from the European Union Survey of Income and Living Conditions’ ad hoc module (EU-SILC 2021) and the Current Population Survey (CPS-ASEC March Supplement and CPS-Child Support Supplement 2023) from the US. We compare how different income sources (i.e., mothers’ own labor income, child support, social transfers, informal support, partner income, and other income), contribute to enhancing economic resources and reducing the relative poverty risk of mothers and children with SPC versus JPC, and between countries with different state policy contexts. Preliminary results from multivariate regression analyses show that family income from multiple sources is the norm for all mothers, with mothers’ own earnings and partner earnings being the main components of income. However, there is considerable variation by physical custody arrangements. Mother’s incomes are insufficient as a sole source of family income, especially among SPC families. Cross-national comparisons suggest smaller differences between SPC and JPC in Finland, Sweden and Denmark and greatest differences in Belgium, France and Spain. Our results inform both within- and between-country family and income support policies for separated families.

Authors

• Trisha Chanda, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  Presenting Author

• Mari Haapanen
  Non-Presenting Co-Author