Meet Keira – a single mom with an uncooperative ex
One of five household archetypes experiencing food insecurity
In December, we shared a blog post describing some of the research the Centre has embarked on to better understand the economic, demographic, geographic and social/cultural characteristics of households experiencing food insecurity. Last month, we featured two of five household archetypes we looked at in our research – Sasha and Oleg, parents caring for a child with a disability, and Curtis – a single adult living with a disability.
In this post, we will look more closely at “Keira” and other single mother households.
Food insecurity amongst single mothers
Single parents, and single mothers in particular, experience food insecurity at much higher rates than two-parent households. Almost half (46%) of households with a single mother experience food insecurity, compared to 25% of households with two parents.
These rates are exacerbated when looking at the intersections of single motherhood with race, Indigeneity and disability. Groups who disproportionately experience food insecurity include:
Keira
When Keira’s son was born, she was living with her partner Dan. The arrival of their child introduced new expenses and a loss of income as Keira took maternity leave from her retail job. This put pressure on the household, leading to heightened conflict and an eventual separation. Keira moved back to her hometown to live with her parents temporarily which gave her time to find a new job and an apartment. With the essentials in order, Keira and her son built a new life, but the separation process dragged on and delayed child support and tax processes essential for the child benefits she should’ve been eligible for.
Keira meticulously manages her income to pay for necessities (like rent, transportation, etc.). As her son grows and needs new clothes and shoes, she cuts down her grocery budget to be able to afford them. She also carefully measures the food they have and worries when her son asks for another helping at dinner. She has started to go without breakfast to stretch their limited food to the next pay cheque.
“If my son is out in clothes that aren’t suitable, it’s going to impact his self-esteem. Food though, is what we do in the home. No one sees what we eat.”
Keira, reflecting on deciding which essentials are prioritized
Keira’s story highlights some key themes we heard in our interviews relevant for program design, including:
Reduce the need to reshare the story: Single moms are asked to repeat their story in many contexts and are put under the microscope repeatedly (by the legal system, the welfare system, the education system, the healthcare system, employers, landlords etc.). Providing access to supports without requiring that repetition, or by streamlining the sharing of it, may reduce friction for them.
Enable consistency through turbulence: Single moms are often moving through several layers of turbulence as they exit a relationship with an ex-partner. Supports that can enable consistency for them but especially for their children may reduce their need to overspend to maintain that normalcy themselves.
Work around time and transportation constraints: Single moms likely have little wiggle room in terms of time and transportation. Services that meet them where (and when) they’re at will enable better access and uptake.
Critical moments to design for
To prevent, or quickly move families with single moms out of, food insecurity, there are a few critical moments we can design for:
- Separation and legal processes: The emotional, logistical, and legal processes of separation (and of unlocking child support) can be long, expensive, and unpredictable. One expert flagged that exiting this process was often a vital step required to exit food insecurity for single moms.
- Housing transitions: Separation often drives housing transitions, but so does employment precarity or change over time. Helping single moms through these challenging periods may enable greater stability in terms of household food.
- Family expansion: Single moms who are going through pre-natal and postpartum periods alone are likely highly vulnerable to food insecurity, especially if they’re not working during the pre- or post-birth period.
- School transitions: Like other families, the start of school for children can bring new and unexpected costs. Helping single moms navigate this, or reducing the costs associated with this period, may reduce the need to compromise on food.
Promising system touchpoints
Our interviews and workshop also highlighted some promising system touchpoints to reach single parent households, many of which are similar for other archetypes, including:
- Community, housing, employment, and social services: Single moms with lower incomes are often reliant on a wide range of social services immediately after separation.
- Food banks & emergency food supports: Single moms may be accessing food banks and other emergency food supports immediately after separation or during challenging financial moments.
- Healthcare providers and prenatal supports: With kids on the way or in the house, single moms are likely plugged into the healthcare system.
- Schools, daycares, and libraries: These formal and informal contexts for education and extracurricular activity are a common, low-cost channel for moms to provide enrichment for their kids.
- Legal services and contexts: Pursuing child support means that single moms are often in contact with the legal system.
- Tax filing and tax credits: Tax filing supports can help single moms access the benefits they need to support their families, especially if they’re blocked by an uncooperative ex.
- Social media: Many single moms flagged the value of Facebook and other social media to help them find supports or accessible, low-cost options for food.
You can learn more about all five archetypes in our summary report. Later this month, we will take a deeper look at the archetype of a newcomer family experiencing economic precarity.
If you’d like to discuss the report or receive a copy of the full research report, please fill out our request form or email info@feedopportunity.com.
February 13, 2025