Marriage & Poverty: Rhode Island

Marriage:
Rhode Island’s 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 Rhode Island, 1929–2010
Throughout most of Rhode PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK
Island’s history, out-of-wedlock
childbearing was rare. 50%

When the federal government’s 45.0%
War on Poverty began in 1964,
only 3.6 percent of children in 40%
Rhode Island were born out of
wedlock. However, over the next
four decades, the number rose
rapidly. By 2010, 45 percent of 30%
births in Rhode Island occurred
outside of marriage.

20%

Note: Initiated by President Lyndon
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
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 Rhode Island heritage.org

Death of Marriage in Rhode Island, 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 side 100%
of the out-of-wedlock birth rate.
Through most of the 20th cen-
tury, marital births were the norm
in Rhode Island. In 1964, about 97
percent of births occurred to
married couples. 80%

However, in the mid-1960s, the
marital birth rate began to fall
steadily. By 2010, only 55 percent
of births in Rhode Island occurred
to married couples.
60%
55.0%
Note: In any given year, the sum of the
out-of-wedlock birth rate (Chart 1)
and the marital birth rate (Chart 2)
equals 100 percent of all births.
40%
Sources: U.S. Government, U.S. Census
Bureau, and National Center for Health 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Statistics.


In Rhode Island, Marriage Drops the Probability of Child Poverty
by 89 Percent
The rapid rise in out-of-wedlock PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN THAT ARE POOR
childbearing is a major cause of 40%
high levels of child poverty in
35.8%
Rhode Island.
Some 35.8 percent of single
mothers with children are poor
30%
compared to 4.1 percent of mar-
ried couples with children.
Single-parent families with
children are nearly nine times
20%
more likely to be poor than fami-
lies in which the parents are mar-
ried.
The higher poverty rate among
single-mother families is due both 10%
to the lower education levels of
4.1%
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


Over One-Third of All Families with Children in Rhode Island
Are Not Married
Overall, married couples head
about two-thirds of families with
children in Rhode Island. Over
one-third are single-parent
families.
Unmarried
Families
35.2%
Married
Families
64.8%

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


In Rhode Island, 80 Percent of Poor Families with Children
Are Not Married
Among poor families with
children in Rhode Island, over
four in ﬁve are not married. By
contrast, only one in ﬁve poor
families with children are headed Married
by married couples. Families
26.8%

Unmarried
Families
71.2%



In Rhode Island, 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 7.1 percent of
out-of-wedlock births in Rhode Under
Island occur to girls under age 18. Age 18:
By contrast, some 74 percent of 7.1%
out-of-wedlock births occur to
Age
young adult women between the 30–54:
ages of 18 and 29. 19.2% Age
18–19:
13.3%

Age
25–29:
24.5%
Age
20–24:
35.9%
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 Rhode Island Are More Likely to Give Birth
Outside Marriage
Unwed childbearing occurs most PERCENTAGE OF BIRTHS THAT ARE MARITAL
frequently among the women who OR OUT OF WEDLOCK
will have the greatest difﬁculty sup-
100% Unmarried
porting children by themselves: those 8.1%
with low levels of education. 90%
Mothers
In the U.S., among women who 42%
are high school dropouts, about 65.2 80%
percent of all births occur outside 54.5%
marriage. Among women who have 70%
only a high school diploma, well over 65.2%
half of all births occur outside mar- 60%
riage. By contrast, among women
50%
with at least a college degree, only Married
91.9%
8.1 percent of births are out of wed- 40% Mothers
lock. 58%
30%
Note: Specific data on out-of-wedlock 45.5%
births and maternal education are not 20%
available in Rhode Island. However, the
pattern varies little between states. 34.8%
10%
Rhode Island data will be very similar to
the national data presented in this 0%
chart.
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
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS Years) Years) Years) Years)
data.


Both Marriage and Education Are Highly Effective in Reducing
Child Poverty in Rhode Island
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- 61.2%
60%
ents with the same education level.
For example, in Rhode Island, 50%
the poverty rate for a single 41.6%
mother who has only a high 40%
school diploma is 41.6 percent,
but the poverty rate for a married 30%
couple family headed by an indi-
vidual who, similarly, has only a 20.7%
20%
high school degree is far lower at 14.3%
11.1%
4.8 percent. 10%
4.8% 3.4%
On average, marriage drops the 1.1%
poverty rate by about 85 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 Rhode Island
Out-of-wedlock childbearing PERCENT OF BIRTHS THAT ARE OUT OF WEDLOCK
varies considerably by race.
80%
In 2008, 43.9 percent of births
in Rhode Island occurred outside 8.3%
70% 68%
marriage. The rate was lowest 65.8%
among non-Hispanic whites at
around one in three births (33.8 60%
percent). Among Hispanics, nearly
two-thirds of births were out of
50%
wedlock. Among blacks, nearly 43.9%
seven in ten births were to unmar-
ried women (68 percent) 40%
33.8%
30%

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 Rhode Island, 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 70% Hispanic
government’s War on Poverty in 68.0%
1964, the rates for both whites and
blacks were comparatively low. 60% Hispanic
65.8%
In 1964, less than one in thirty
(2.9 percent) white children was 50%
born outside marriage. By 2008,
the number had risen to over one 40%
in three (33.8 percent).
White Non-
In 1964, around one in ﬁve 30% Hispanic
black children (19.4 percent) were 33.8%
born outside marriage. By 2008,
20%
the number had risen to nearly
seven in ten (68 percent).
10%

0%
Sources: U.S. Government, U.S. Census 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2008
Bureau, and National Center for Health
Statistics.


Racial Composition of All Births and Out-of-Wedlock Births
in Rhode Island
In Rhode Island in 2008, some ALL BIRTHS OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS
49.8 percent of all births occurred
to non-Hispanic whites, 21.6
percent occurred to Hispanics, and
8.4 percent occurred to non-
Hispanic blacks
Because blacks and Hispanics 49.8% White Non- 38.3%
are more likely to have children Hispanic
without being married, they
account for disproportionately
larger shares of all out-of-wedlock
births. Even so, the largest number
of unwed births are to white non-
Hispanic women. 32.5%
21.6% Hispanic
In Rhode Island in 2008, 38.3
percent of all non-marital births
were to non-Hispanic whites, 32.5 8.4% Black Non- 13%
percent were to Hispanics, and 13
Hispanic
percent were to black non-
Hispanic women. 20.2%
Asian/Other 16.2%
Human Services, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2008 NHS
data. Note: Figures have been rounded.


Non-Married White Families Are Eight Times More Likely to Be Poor
in Rhode Island
Marriage leads to lower poverty PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
rates for whites, blacks, and His-
panics.
20%
For example, in 2009, the pov-
erty rate for married white families 17.1%
in Rhode Island was 2.2 percent.
But the poverty rate for non-
15%
married white families was nearly
eight times higher at 17.1 percent.

10%

5%
2.2%

0%
Married Families Non-Married Families


Non-Married Black Families Are Three Times More Likely to Be Poor
in Rhode Island
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
married black couples in Rhode
Island was 11.1 percent, while the
40%
poverty rate for non-married black
35.3%
families was three times higher at
35.3 percent. 35%

30%

25%

20%

15%
11.1%
10%

5%

0%


Non-Married Hispanic Families Are Nearly Five Times More Likely to Be
Poor in Rhode Island
In 2009, the poverty rate for PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE POOR
Hispanic married families in
Rhode Island was 10.9 percent,
60%
while the poverty rate among
non-married families was about 51.5%
ﬁve times higher at 51.5 percent. 50%

40%

30%

20%

10.9%
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.

The Heritage Foundation is a research and educational institution—a think tank—whose mission is to
formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited gov-
ernment, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense.
Our vision is to build an America where freedom, opportunity, prosperity, and civil society ﬂourish. As
conservatives, we believe the values and ideas that motivated our Founding Fathers are worth conserving.
As policy entrepreneurs, we believe the most effective solutions are consistent with those ideas and values.

214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE • Washington, D.C. 20002 • (202) 546-4400 • heritage.org

Marriage & Poverty: Rhode Island

Recomendados

Recomendados

Mais conteúdo relacionado

Mais procurados

Mais procurados (20)

Semelhante a Marriage & Poverty: Rhode Island

Semelhante a Marriage & Poverty: Rhode Island (20)

Mais de The Heritage Foundation

Mais de The Heritage Foundation (14)

Último

Último (9)

Marriage & Poverty: Rhode Island