Where Are All the ‘Welfare Queens?’ Diversity and European Evidence on Single-Parent

Contributor(s): Professor Janet C. Gornick, Dr Laurie C. Maldonado, Professor Ive Marx, Dr Rense Nieuwenhuis | In the United States, single mothers are often blamed for their own circumstances and offered little support. The American social policy discourse is very much shaped by the image of the “welfare queen” – a never-married single mother who is dependent on public assistance and refuses to work. However, experiences of lone parents across Europe and other countries calls this stereotype into question. So what does this mean for social policy?
Our panel will engage in discussion and provide comparative policy lessons intended to improve the lives of single-parent families in the United States. The panel will also discuss future directions and pressing challenges for single-parent families during a time of COVID-19, as well as social and political unrest in the U.S.
Meet our speakers and chair
Janet C. Gornick (@JanetGornick) is the Director of the Stone Center on Socio-Economic In