Assisting Young, Unmarried Mothers to Become Self-Sufficient: The Effects of Different Types of Early Economic Support

This article examines a sample of young, unmarried mothers from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) and considers how different types of economic support received soon after their first child is born contributes to the later self-sufficiency of young, unmarried mothers. It expands conventional categories of income support - AFDC, food stamps, child support - to include shared housing and relatives' assistance. The model also contains various behaviors of young mothers after the birth of their first child. The findings suggest that certain economic supports assist these mothers and that life choices they make after their child's birth are important to self-sufficiency.