Three Great Foundations Supporting Single Parents and Children

In the United States, 35 percent of children under the age of 18 live in single parents families, according to 2013 data from the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Kids Count Data Center.

In a report in the National Women’s Law Center’s 2014 report, single mothers are nearly five times more likely to live in poverty than married-couple families.

These staggering statistics speak to the massive need for support and resources for single parents in the U.S.

Responding to this call, many private individuals and companies have started charitable foundations whose aim is to provide support of some kind to single parents and their children.

Charitable foundations vary in vision and type of support. They all have a goal of ensuring that single-parent families are able to thrive both financially and emotionally. The following are three great examples of

organizations

doing this type of work.

The Karen and Charles Phillips Charitable Organization

The Phillips Charitable Organization (PCO) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that provides timely financial assistance and opportunities for single parents, wounded veterans, and disadvantaged students with interests in engineering.

With no paid staff or administrative overhead, all donations the PCO go directly to the organization’s beneficiaries. With over 100 grants given in the past two years, primarily to single parent families who require additional assistance due to financial difficulties.

This focus comes from a personal interest of the PCO board members, many of whom grew up in single family households. The hope is that parents who receive a grant are able to spend more time focusing on raising their children in a healthy, stress-free environment. Interested recipients can fill out a simple application on the charity’s website.

Financial help is only one part of what single parents often juggle after a split. Sorting out custody, shared expenses, and living arrangements usually comes first, and understanding how separation agreements work can make that stage far less overwhelming. A written agreement typically spells out who the children live with, how time is divided, and how costs like school fees get shared, so both parents know where they stand before anything is finalized.

Universal Love Foundation

The Universal Love Foundation (ULF) equips single-parent families with the tools to thrive independently. To do this start by providing temporary assistance to disadvantaged, working, single-parent families on a case-by-case basis.

Assistance includes medical treatment, job training, counseling, and other social services. Therefore, filling the gap where these families may not qualify for government assistance. The hope is that through these programs, beneficiaries will become self-sufficient and lead productive lives.

Specific programs include scholarships for parents looking to acquire education or job skills. The Parent of Distinction Awards, disaster relief assistance, and a singe-parent essay contest. There are specific programs that can be applied for on the ULF’s website.

Single Parents Foundation

The Single Parent Foundation was established to assist low-income, single-parent families with one-off emergency services. These services are provided to help assist those for whom a small setback might mean devastating consequences for their family.

Services include emergency car repair, daycare services, and similar expenses. This assistance ensures that families are able to bring stability into their homes and get back on their feet with less difficulty. With the help of the Single Parent Foundation, 10 families are supported each month.