Nation IN BRIEF : WASHINGTON, D.C. : 1 in 4 Children Live With Single Parent

The number of American children living with single parents is up sharply, and the number of those parents who have never been married nearly equals the share who are divorced. The Census Bureau reported that 27% of children under age 18 lived with one parent last year, up from 12% in 1970. “The rise in divorce and delay in first marriage are two of the major factors contributing to the growing proportion of children living with one parent,” said Arlene Saluter, a population expert who authored the report, “Marital Status and Living Arrangements: March 1993.”