Single Mothers of Young Children

Early Childhood Care, Education and Participation

Early education and childcare programs (EEC), often referred to as “early childhood education,” “early child care,” or “early childcare development,” consist of learning opportunities that children receive prior to their transition into kindergarten.

Each year, millions of children from single mothers enter EEC programs, including programs such as Head Start and many state funded programs that are largely designed for children from low-income households. The value of EEC programs for children and families from lower-income households continues to be debated. The qualitative research approach employed in this study was designed to identify system level influences that single mothers may contend with and that may present constraints to participating in their children’s preschool education and in other environments within the community. This study sought to understand the commitment of single mothers’ engagement in their children’s education within systems of influences, including influences in the home, school, and places of employment, neighborhoods, communities, government and society, as proposed by Bronfenbrenner (Bronfenbrenner & Morris,1998).

To gain insights into the single mother’s experiences and perspectives, 15 single mothers of Head Start children were individually interviewed. Specifically, using a grounded theory approach, this study determined an emergence of themes from the interview data on the lived experiences of these single mothers. Major themes that emerged from the data analysis: Single mothers noted that a lack of social support influenced their EEC experience and levels of engagement. They also indicated that EEC experiences enhanced their children’s academic, social and emotional development. These single mothers noted greater interaction with pre-school staff and participation in the classroom, when the program was welcoming and encouraging. Positive influences on their involvement in their children’s learning were specified. The study proposed an association of system level influences on single mothers and their engagement in their children’s care and education. Consideration of system level influences may be useful in designing ways to enhance the involvement of single mothers in their children’s Head Start.