Fatherlessness In South Dakota

Fatherhood is foundational to strong families, and strong families are essential to a strong Nation. An absent father affects all aspects of a child’s life, from socio-cognitive and socio-emotional development to academic performance and criminality—and unfortunately, the effects of fatherlessness are visible in South Dakota.

FATHERLESSNESS IN THE UNITED STATES

— Approximately 18.4 million children in the U.S. live without a biological father, stepfather, or adoptive father present in the home.

— 23% of children in the U.S. are raised by a single parent. This is more than three times the world average (7%) of children raised by a single parent and the highest rate of any country on Earth.

— Approximately 41% of children are born to unwed mothers. For women under age 30, the unwed birth rate increases to 53%.

— Fathers are absent in approximately 80% of single-parent homes.

— Fatherless children are more likely to suffer from psychosocial development issues, live in poverty, drop out of school, engage in school violence, abuse substances, and enter the juvenile justice system.

— 63% of youth suicide victims, 90% of all homeless and runaway children, 70% of juveniles in state-operated institutes, 85% of youths in prisons, and 80% of rapists come from fatherless homes.

FATHERHOOD AND FAMILY IN SOUTH DAKOTA

— 57,000 South Dakota children live in single-parent households, representing 29% of all South Dakota children.

— There were 3,951 births to unmarried women in South Dakota in 2020, 36% of all births that year.

— There are about 533 teen births in South Dakota per year.

— There were 1,683 children in foster care in South Dakota as of 2020.

— 40,620 children have one or more emotional, behavioral, or developmental conditions in South Dakota or 23% of all South Dakota children.

— About 3,000 teens ages 12–17 have abused alcohol or drugs in the past year in South Dakota.

EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES IN SOUTH DAKOTA

— 64% of South Dakota 4th-graders scored “below proficient” in reading for their class level.

— 61% of South Dakota 8th-graders scored “below proficient” in mathematics for their class level.

— 16% of South Dakota high school students do not graduate on time.

— On average, South Dakota spends about $10,049 per student in public schools.

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE IN SOUTH DAKOTA

— 35,799 households receive SNAP benefits in South Dakota.

— 15,397 infants and children are receiving WIC benefits in South Dakota.

— There are approximately 31,584 South Dakota children living in poverty, which is about 14.9% of all South Dakota children.