- Experts say births outside marriage grow out of changing norms, class divide, By Taya Flores and David Smith, January 27, 2013, Lafayette Journal and Courier: “Kionni Sheldon, a 22-year-old Lafayette single mom, is frank when discussing her decision to have a baby on her own rather than seek a long-term relationship with the child’s father. The McCutcheon High School graduate said she dated her baby’s father for about four months when she learned of her pregnancy, which was unplanned. She ended the relationship soon after, she said. ‘He got very controlling,’ Sheldon said. And while she agreed that being married is the ‘proper’ way to begin parenting, ‘you shouldn’t have to do it that way…'”
- Fragile families challenge parents, children and support agencies, By Taya Flores and David Smith, January 27, 2013, Lafayette Journal and Courier: “As a young girl, Treecee Arnett says, she dreamed of her wedding day. She envisioned a fairy tale event in a large church adorned with ice sculptures and royal blue and cream decorations. She would wear an open back dress with a tiara. Arnett has yet to realize that dream. ‘I haven’t found the right one,’ the Lafayette woman said. ‘Some of them do have the potential to be great husbands, but they are caught up in that ‘thug’ life.’ As marriage plans failed to materialize, motherhood did not wait. Arnett’s first child came when she was 16. Now 35, she’s a single mother of and sole provider for three teens. Her children have three different fathers, none of whom is involved in his kids’ lives. ‘I do have a child support order on them, but they are not paying support,’ she said. Arnett’s family situation — and the pressures it brings to bear on providing everything from food and clothing to making sure her children get a good education — is more common than many might realize…”
Poverty-related issues in the news, from the Institute for Research on Poverty