The well-being of children in a single-mother headed family: a case of Debre Tabor, Ethiopia

Abstract

Although the family structure has been a crucial factor to Ethiopian children's well-being at all stages of their lives, previous research has not looked into the negative effects of the state of single motherhood on their children's well-being because the way the community responds to children of single mothers varies in  different cultures. Therefore, the main objective of the study was to explore the well-being of children's growth in single mothers in different social contexts in the city of Debre Tabor, Ethiopia. A qualitative method with a descriptive multiple case study design was employed to examine children's wellbeing in single-  mother- headed households. Eleven in-depth interviews with single mothers' children were conducted. To collect data, six key informant interviews with single mothers and teachers were done in Amharic (the participants' first language), as were three focus group talks with single mothers. The data were transcribed,  translated, and thematically examined. Single mothers' informal economic survival was identified as a source of discomfort for children, and some community rites were classified as a source of neglect for their children, according to the study. Furthermore, children's concerns differ depending on the sort of single  mother, and single mothers' diverse life challenges have a variety of effects on many aspects of their children's well-being. As a result, stakeholders should acknowledge single mothers and their children as a multifaceted, identifiable vulnerable group in the community, and implicit policy actions to improve the well-being of single  mothers' children should be implemented.