The landscape of American families has shifted dramatically over the past half-century. According to the U.S. Census Bureau 2023 data, approximately 15.09 million children live with their mother, and about 3.05 million live with their father—bringing the total number of children in single-parent households to more than 18 million. That figure has grown steadily since 1970, when fewer than 9 million children were in single-parent homes.

Today, roughly one in four American children—about 25—is being raised in a single-parent family. That share has nearly tripled since 1960, when only 9% of children lived with one parent. According to a global survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, the United States has the highest rate of children living in single-parent households of any nation in the world.

The economic consequences are significant. In 2024, 27% of single-parent families lived below the federal poverty level—more than four times the rate of married-couple families, which stood at 6%, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT data. Children raised in single-parent households are nearly four times more likely to experience poverty than their peers in two-parent homes. The official poverty rate for single-mother families reached 31.3% in 2024, and the median annual income for those families was approximately $41,305—compared to $132,959 for married couples. More than a third of single-mother households—36.8%—reported experiencing food insecurity.

These economic pressures do not stay with one generation. Research consistently shows that children who grow up in poverty within single-parent households face diminished educational attainment and lower lifetime earnings. A 2024 study published in the journal Social Science Quarterly found that single mothers’ poverty status was directly linked to reduced educational outcomes and income for their young adult children, with educational attainment serving as the primary pathway through which economic disadvantage is passed from one generation to the next.

The Hidden Challenge in Fort Bend County

Fort Bend County is one of the fastest-growing communities in the United States. With a population of 958,434 as of 2024—and growing at an annual rate of 3.4%—it ranks in the top 10 nationally for net population increases, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 Population Estimates Program. County leaders and researchers project that Fort Bend could double in size by 2050. Situated west of the greater Houston metropolis, it is the eighth most populous county in Texas and among the most culturally diverse in the nation.

That rapid growth, however, is masking a widening gap. Nearly 19% of families in Fort Bend County are single-parent households, and mental health challenges affect an estimated 46% of households countywide. While the county’s median household income stands at $113,409—among the highest in the Houston region—15% of the population is living with severe housing problems. More than 17,000 households earn less than 30% of the area’s median income, placing them at serious risk of homelessness, according to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy.

A University of Texas study documented by Fort Bend Family Promise estimates that between 6,000 and 9,000 people in the county are homeless in any given year, and nearly half of them are children seeking shelter with their families. Rapid development has compounded the problem: as older, more affordable housing stock is purchased and redeveloped, rents rise, and low-income families are displaced. As Steve Berg, chief policy officer of the National Coalition to End Homelessness, has noted, developers in rapidly growing counties like Fort Bend drive this cycle by flipping rundown apartment complexes and raising rents, often forcing families to find other places to live. According to Fort Bend County records, more than 900 families were receiving rent assistance through the county at one point—a number that reflects both the depth of need and the insufficiency of available resources.

Nine local nonprofits formed a coalition to address these gaps, and the Flourishment Center—a collaborative resource hub opening in Rosenberg—will provide 16 on-site temporary housing units along with mental health services, workforce training, and crisis housing. But advocates are clear: the need far outpaces current capacity.

 The Greater Katy Area

The Greater Katy area, situated along the Texas 99/Grand Parkway corridor, corresponds roughly to the boundaries of the Katy Independent School District, which encompasses 181 square miles across parts of Harris, Fort Bend, and Waller Counties. Katy ISD now enrolls more than 96,000 students across 80 campuses—making it one of the largest and fastest-growing school districts in Texas.

Within this district, economic disadvantage is not evenly distributed. District-wide, 42.7% of students are classified as economically disadvantaged. But that average conceals stark differences between campuses: some serve student populations where fewer than 12% qualify, while others—particularly schools in east and north Katy—serve communities where as many as 86% of students are economically disadvantaged. The Texas Education Agency has acknowledged that these disparities in student demographics are directly tied to persistent gaps in achievement and opportunity.

According to the Katy ISD Homeless Liaison Officer, more than 500 students in the district are homeless at any given time. Many of these students come from single-parent families, particularly single mothers, who are disproportionately affected by the housing instability and economic pressures described above. Shelters and transitional housing programs in neighboring communities consistently report that 10–15% of their residents come from the greater Katy area, and single mothers are frequently turned away due to a lack of available accommodation.

About 48% of Pre-K students in Katy ISD are economically disadvantaged—a statistic that highlights how early these financial pressures begin to shape a child’s experience of the world.

Why This Matters

Single parents facing these challenges often remain invisible in the communities they call home. Fort Bend County’s wealth and reputation as a desirable place to live can obscure the reality that thousands of families here are struggling with poverty, homelessness, and the lasting effects of trauma. As Fort Bend Precinct 4 Commissioner Dexter McCoy has said, the wealth in Fort Bend County “also comes with a huge disparity.”

Katy Cares exists because these families deserve more than survival—they deserve support, stability, and a genuine path toward healing.

Client Base

• More than 18 million children in the U.S. live in single-parent households (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023).
• Roughly 25% of American children are being raised by a single parent—up from 9% in 1960.
• In 2024, 27% of single-parent families lived below the federal poverty level, compared to 6% of married-couple families.
• The poverty rate for single-mother families reached 31.3% in 2024, with a median household income of approximately $41,305.
• Nearly 19% of families in Fort Bend County are single-parent households; 46% of households in the county report mental health challenges.
• Between 6,000 and 9,000 people are homeless in Fort Bend County in any given year, and nearly half are children (University of Texas study).
• More than 17,000 Fort Bend County households are at serious risk of homelessness (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development).
• Katy ISD enrolls more than 96,000 students, with 42.7% classified as economically disadvantaged and 500+ identified as homeless.
• Lamar CISD is the real growth story—they’ve gone from 37,000 to 49,000 students in just four years and are projected to hit 67,000 by 2035. The campus-level disparity is less extreme than that of Fort Bend ISD. Their homeless count is estimated at 400–700 based on historical trend data.
• Fort Bend ISD has a notably high economically disadvantaged rate at 49.6%—higher than both Katy and Lamar—and the campus-level disparity is stark. Twenty-three campuses serve populations that are 75% or more economically disadvantaged.

The Invisible Struggle of Single Parents

A Community That Thrives—and a Crisis That Hides Within It

The Greater Katy Area, situated along the Texas 99/Grand Parkway corridor, draws thousands of new residents each year. It is easy to see why. The region offers top-tier school districts, vibrant churches and faith communities, a wide range of nonprofits and foundations, and a diverse, generous population. Housing, employment, and opportunity appear plentiful—on the surface.

But beneath that prosperity, a quieter crisis is taking shape. Nearly 19% of families in Fort Bend County are single-parent households, and the vast majority of them are navigating their challenges largely unseen. They are not a statistic in a report. They are neighbors, members of congregations, parents dropping their children off at school—and many of them are struggling in ways that the community around them does not yet fully understand.

What Single Parents Are Facing

When a marriage or relationship ends, the changes that follow are rarely small. Income drops—often sharply. For single-mother families nationwide, the median annual income is approximately $41,305, compared to $132,959 for married-couple households. Housing may change. Neighborhoods shift. Close friendships, once shared with a partner, can quietly disappear.

At the same time, the work of raising a family does not diminish. A single parent must now fill two roles—provider and caregiver—while also managing a household that was built around two people. The weight of that responsibility compounds daily, and the financial pressure that comes with it is often the source of the deepest stress.

Loneliness is another burden that rarely surfaces in public conversation. The absence of a partner leaves a void that is difficult to describe, let alone fill. Many single parents find themselves without the close support network they once relied on—and while leaving an unhealthy or abusive relationship may bring a sense of safety, it does not automatically bring stability or peace. Grief for what was lost—including the family life a parent once envisioned—can persist long after the transition itself.

The Ripple Effect on Children

Children feel these changes profoundly. The trauma of separation—or, in some cases, exposure to domestic violence—can express itself as disruptive or defiant behavior. These are not signs of a child who is “acting out” for the sake of it. They are signs of a child who is hurting and does not yet have the words or the tools to say so.

For the single parent, maintaining consistent discipline and stability at home becomes one of the most draining challenges of the day. When financial pressures force a parent into a second job, the hours spent away from home only deepen the challenge. Children left unsupervised for extended periods may struggle further—not because of any failing on the part of their parent, but because of the impossible math of a single person trying to do everything at once.

The Weight of Carrying It Alone

Beyond the practical demands, many single parents carry an invisible emotional burden. Feelings of guilt, low self-confidence, and a quiet sense of inadequacy can take root—not because these parents are doing anything wrong, but because our culture offers very few models of what it means to thrive as a single parent. The process of redefining oneself after a major life change is slow and requires support that is rarely offered without being asked for.

More than a third of single-mother households in the United States report experiencing food insecurity. In Fort Bend County, an estimated 6,000 to 9,000 people are homeless in any given year—and nearly half of them are children. These numbers tell us that the struggles single parents face are not personal failings. They are systemic, and they demand a systemic response.

A Different Path Forward

Single parenting does not have to be defined by hardship. With the right support—practical, emotional, and community-based—it can become a season of genuine growth, resilience, and even hope. That transformation does not happen by accident. It happens when someone decides to show up.

Katy Cares is here to show up. We walk alongside single parents not to fix what is broken, but to help build what comes next—offering the resources, the guidance, and the steady presence that every family deserves.