Study looks at amount of time single mothers are able to give their children

"Time poor" single mothers come surprisingly close in the number of hours they spend caring for their children compared to married mothers, and the difference is explained almost entirely by socio-economic factors and the kind of jobs they hold, say University of Maryland sociologists in a new study.

The researchers conclude public policy focuses too heavily on the mother's marital status.

The study, published in the December issue of the " Journal of Marriage and Family," is the first to provide a detailed look at the amount and quality of time single mothers are able to give their children.

Based on data from time use diaries, the study finds that single mothers who may lack a large support network still manage to provide 83 to 90 percent of child-rearing time as their married counterparts. While the difference is statistically significant, the researchers expected a greater gap.

"We were surprised that these women managed to pull it off so well, often working long hours with little help, yet devoting up to 90 percent of the time to their children that married women do," says Sarah Kendig, a doctoral student at the University of Maryland and the principal researcher. The research served as Kendig's master's thesis. Suzanne Bianchi, University of Maryland chair of sociology and Kendig's advisor, co-authored the article.

"Of course, something has to give, and these time-poor women have to cut corners not only on the amount of time they spend with children but also on what we'd normally think of as 'quality time' with their kids," Bianchi says, adding that these compromises don't come easily.