For Single Parents, an Indiana Home Is...

• In a safe, stable community
• Near jobs
• Near good schools
• Barely affordable

According to recent Census reports, there are nearly 220,000 single-parent homes in Indiana. And single parents face a deceptively daunting challenge. They must feed, clothe and educate their children--alone. Many must work at least one full-time job in order to pay the bills, which often includes some form of childcare.

But childcare takes a big bite out of anyone's budget. Quality childcare in some parts of the state can cost over $7,000 annually--as much as a year of college (in 2005, annual tuition for Indiana University was $7,112). The statewide average cost for an infant in a childcare center in 2005 was $6,985, or 17 percent of the state's median income of $42,067.

And Yet...

• A single mother earning $10 per hour would spend nearly 30 percent of her gross income on childcare costs for one child--the same amount she should spend for an affordable home, be it rental or ownership. With 60 percent consumed for childcare and housing, there's precious little left for the other necessities of life, like healthcare, transportation--or food.

• So how do the numbers really shake out? Based on Indiana's fair market rents and average childcare costs, that single mother--bringing home about $1470 a month after taxes--spends about $622 for a two-bedroom apartment for herself and her child, plus another $582 in childcare each month. That leaves her with just $266 a month to pay for everything else that she and her child need to live.

For single parents, these monumental expenses can create the tipping point between living in a decent home in a safe neighborhood or making do with substandard housing for themselves and their children. That's a decision no parent should have to make.

Like low-income working families, single parents struggle to achieve self-sufficiency and may be forced to move frequently to find affordable housing. Frequent moves lead to lower attendance rates at school for their children, along with poorer academic performance and achievement and higher dropout rates (and at early ages). Staying put in substandard housing isn't any better: children who live there are more likely to develop chronic health issues requiring hospitalization (in fact, they're twice as likely to suffer from them compared to children living in affordable homes).

Making matters worse, single-parents face yet another challenge: finding the time and money to improve their education or vocational skills in order to increase their income and build a better life can be difficult (let alone affording even more childcare).

Click here for information on finding affordable rental housing or buying a home.