Marriage & Poverty: Kansas

Marriage:
Kansas’ No. 1 Weapon
Against
Childhood Poverty
How the Collapse of Marriage Hurts Children
and Three Steps to Reverse the Damage
A Heritage Foundation Book of Charts • January 2012

Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society

Growth of Out-of-Wedlock Childbearing in Kansas, 1929–2010
Throughout most of Kansas PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
history, out-of-wedlock childbear-
ing was rare. 50%

When the federal government’s 45%
War on Poverty began in 1964,
only 4.3 percent of children in 40%
Kansas were born out of wedlock. 37.8%
However, over the next four 35%
decades, the number rose rapidly.
By 2010, nearly 4 out of 10 births 30%
in Kansas occurred outside of
marriage. 25%

20%

Note: Initiated by President Lyndon 15%
Johnson in 1964, the War on Poverty
led to the creation of more than three 10%
dozen welfare programs to aid poor
persons. Government has spent $16.7
trillion on means-tested aid to the poor 5%
since 1964.
0%
Sources: U.S. Government, U.S. Census
Bureau, and National Center for Health 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Statistics.

Chart 1 • Marriage and Poverty in Kansas heritage.org

Death of Marriage in Kansas, 1929–2010
The marital birth rate — the PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN TO MARRIED COUPLES
percentage of all births that occur
to married parents — is the ﬂip 100%
side of the out-of-wedlock birth
rate.
Through most of the 20th cen-
tury, marital births were the norm 90%
in Kansas. In 1964, more than 95
percent of births occurred to
married couples.
However, in the mid-1960s, the
marital birth rate began to fall 80%
steadily. By 2010, only 62.2 per-
cent of births in Kansas occurred
to married couples.
70%

Note: In any given year, the sum of the
out-of-wedlock birth rate (Chart 1)
and the marital birth rate (Chart 2) 62.2%
equals 100 percent of all births.
60%
Statistics.


In Kansas, Marriage Drops the Probability of Child Poverty
by 84 Percent
The rapid rise in out-of-wedlock PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN THAT ARE POOR
childbearing is a major cause of 50%
high levels of child poverty in
Kansas.
Some 35.1 percent of single
40%
mothers with children were poor 35.1%
compared to 5.5 percent of mar-
ried couples with children.
Single-parent families with 30%
children are more than six times
more likely to be poor than fami-
lies in which the parents are mar- 20%
ried.
The higher poverty rate among
single-mother families is due both
10%
to the lower education levels of 5.5%
the mothers and the lower income
due to the absence of the father.
0%
Single-Parent, Married,Two-Parent
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Female-Headed Families
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data. Families


In Kansas, Nearly One-Third of All Families with Children
Are Not Married
Overall, married couples head
about two-thirds of families with
children in Kansas. Nearly
one-third are single-parent
families.

Unmarried
Families
30.3%
Married
Families
69.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2007–2009 data.


In Kansas, 71 Percent of Poor Families with Children Are Not Married

Among poor families with
children in Kansas, 71 percent are
not married. By contrast, three in
ten poor families with children are
headed by married couples.
Married
Families
29.4%

Unmarried
Families
70.6%



In Kansas, Few Unwed Births Occur to Teenagers
Out-of-wedlock births are often PERCENTAGE OF OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS
confused erroneously with teen BY AGE OF MOTHER
births, but only 8 percent of out-
of-wedlock births in Kansas occur Under
to girls under age 18. Age 18:
By contrast, some 78 percent of 7.8%
out-of-wedlock births occur to
Age
young adult women between the 30–54:
ages of 18 and 29. 13.6%
Age
18–19:
16.3%
Age
25–29:
21.8%

Age
20–24:
40.5%
Note: Figures have been rounded.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS
data.


Less-Educated Women in Kansas Are More Likely
to Give Birth Outside of Marriage
Unwed childbearing occurs PERCENTAGE OF BIRTHS THAT ARE MARITAL
most frequently among the OR OUT OF WEDLOCK
women who will have the greatest 100% Unmarried
difﬁculty supporting children by 5.8%
Mothers
themselves: those with low levels 90%
of education. 35.8%
80%
In Kansas, among women who 54.9%
are high school dropouts, two- 70%
67%
thirds of all births occur outside 60%
marriage. Among women who
have only a high school diploma, 50%
Married
more than half of all births occur 94.2%
40% Mothers
outside marriage. By contrast, 64.2%
among women with at least a 30%
college degree, only 6 percent of 45.1%
births are out of wedlock. 20%
33%
10%

0%
High School High School Some College Mother’s
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Dropout Graduate College Graduate education
Human Services, Centers for Disease (0–11 (12 (13–15 (16+ level
data. Years) Years) Years) Years)


Both Marriage and Education Are Highly Effective
in Reducing Child Poverty in Kansas
The poverty rate of married PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES Poverty Rate of Families by
couples with children is dramati- WITH CHILDREN THAT Single
Education and Marital Status
cally lower than the rate for house- ARE POOR Married
of the Head of Household
holds headed by single parents. 70%
This is true even when the married
couple is compared to single par- 60% 58.9%
ents with the same education level.
For example, in Kansas, the 50%
poverty rate for a single mother
who has only a high school 40%
diploma is 30 percent, but the
poverty rate for a married couple 30.0% 29.6%
30%
family headed by an individual
21.4%
who, similarly, has only a high 20%
school degree is far lower at 5.5
percent. 10% 7.8%
5.5% 4.3%
On average, marriage drops the 1.1%
poverty rate by around 79 percent 0%
among families with the same High School High School Some College
education level. Dropout Graduate College Graduate

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Note: Virtually none of the heads of families in the chart who are high school
Community Survey, 2005–2009 data. dropouts are minor teenagers.


Unwed Birth Rates Vary Strongly by Race in Kansas
Out-of-wedlock childbearing PERCENT OF BIRTHS THAT ARE OUT OF WEDLOCK
varies considerably by race.
80%
In 2008 (the most recent year 74.6%
for which racial breakdown is 8.3%
available), more than one in three 70%
births (37.8 percent) in Kansas
occurred outside marriage. The 60%
rate was lowest among non- 53.2%
Hispanic whites at more than
50%
three in ten births (31.1 percent).
Among Hispanics, well over half
of births were out-of-wedlock. 40% 37.8%
Among blacks, seven out of 10 31.1%
births were to unmarried women 30%
(74.6 percent).
20%

10%

0%
Human Services, Centers for Disease All Races White Hispanic Black
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS Non- Non-
data. Hispanic Hispanic


Growth of Unwed Childbearing by Race in Kansas, 1934–2008
Historically, out-of-wedlock PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
childbearing has been somewhat
more frequent among blacks than 80%
among whites. However, prior to Black Non-
the onset of the federal Hispanic
70%
government’s War on Poverty in 74.6%
1963, the rates for both whites and
blacks were comparatively low. 60%
Hispanic
In 1964, not even one in 10 (3 53.2%
percent) white children were born 50%
outside marriage. By 2008, the
number had risen to more than 40%
three in ten (31.1 percent).
In 1964, about one in ﬁve black 30% White Non-
children (20.9 percent) were born Hispanic
outside marriage. By 2008, the 31.1%
20%
number had risen to about three
in every four (74.6 percent).
10%

0%
Statistics.


Racial Composition of All Births and Out-of-Wedlock Births in Kansas
In Kansas in 2008, some 72.2 ALL BIRTHS OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS
percent of all births occurred to
non-Hispanic whites, 16.2 percent
occurred to Hispanics, and 7.5
percent occurred to non-Hispanic
blacks.
Because blacks and Hispanics
are more likely to have children
without being married, they 72.2% White Non- 59.6%
account for a disproportionately Hispanic
large share of all out-of-wedlock
births. Even so, the largest number
of unwed births are to white non-
Hispanic women.
In Kansas in 2008, 59.6 percent 14.9%
of all non-marital births were to
non-Hispanic whites, 22.9 percent Black Non-
7.5%
were to Hispanics, and 14.9 per- Hispanic
cent were to black non-Hispanic 22.9%
women. 16.2% Hispanic

4.1% Asian/Other 2.6%
Human Services, Centers for Disease
data. Note: Figures have been rounded.


Non-Married White Families Are Eight Times More Likely to Be Poor
in Kansas
Marriage leads to lower poverty PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
rates for whites, blacks, and His-
panics.
25%
23.4%
For example, in 2007, the pov-
erty rate for married white families
in Kansas was 2.9 percent. But the
poverty rate for non-married white 20%
families was more than eight times
higher at 23.4 percent.
15%

10%

5%
2.9%

0%
Married Families Non-Married Families


Non-Married Black Families Are Nearly Eleven Times More Likely
to Be Poor in Kansas
In 2007, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
married black couples in Kansas
was 3.7 percent, while the poverty
50%
rate for non-married black families
was nearly eleven times higher at
40.1 percent. 40.1%
40%

30%

20%

10%

3.7%

0%


Non-Married Hispanic Families Are Three Times More Likely
to Be Poor in Kansas
In 2007, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
Hispanic married families in
Kansas was 14.8 percent, while the
50%
poverty rate among non-married
families was three times higher at 43.6%
43.6 percent.
40%

30%

20%
14.8%

10%

0%


Three Steps to Reduce Child Poverty through Marriage

1) Provide information on the benefits of marriage in reducing child poverty
and improving child well-being.

Marriage is a highly effective institution which greatly decreases parental and child
poverty while improving long-term outcomes for children. Conversely, the absence of
marriage greatly increases welfare costs and imposes added burdens on taxpayers.
Unfortunately, almost no information on these topics is available in low-income
communities. This information deficit should be corrected in the following manner:

• Explain the benefits of marriage in middle and high schools with a high
proportion of at-risk youth;
• Create public education campaigns in low-income communities on the
benefits of marriage; and,
• Require federally funded birth control clinics to provide information on the
benefits of marriage and the skills needed to develop stable families to
interested low-income clients.

2) Reduce anti-marriage penalties in means-tested welfare programs.

3) Promote life-goal-planning, marriage-strengthening, and divorce-reduction
programs to increase healthy marriages and reduce divorce and separation.

The Family & Religion Initiative is one of 10 Transformational Initiatives making up The Heritage
Foundation’s Leadership for America campaign. For more products and information related to this initiative
or to learn more about the Leadership for America campaign, please visit heritage.org.

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