In 1960, only 5% of all births were to unwed parents, whereas today,
the proportion is over 40% (Child Trends, 2012). “Fragile families”, or
unwed parents, are fragile both because the parents have low levels of
human capital and because the bonds between the parents are weak
(Mincy, 1994; Mincy & Pouncy, 1997). Fragile families are of increasing
importance and policy interest because their prevalence has grown so
dramatically. The Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study was
funded to fill gaps in knowledge about: a) the capabilities and circumstances
of unwed parents, especially fathers; b) the nature of parental
relationships; c) the experiences and achievements of the children,
and d) the role of welfare state benefits in the lives of fragile families.
A large literature examines the first three aims and a few papers investigate
the roles of particular welfare state programs, such as TANF, food
stamps, and child care. This is the first paper to address the role of
welfare state transfers taken as a whole in the economic lives of fragile
families.