CitizenLink:

Children living in single-parent households face a greater risk of living in poverty, according to a report released Wednesday by The Heritage Foundation.

A child’s probability of living in poverty is reduced by 82 percent when his parents are married to each other, according to “Marriage: America’s Greatest Weapon Against Child Poverty.”

Author Robert Rector said the government should work harder to educate the American public about the value of marriage.

... Heritage Foundation Research Associate Rachel Sheffield told CtizenLink that young people benefit greatly by learning more about marriage.

“The government should provide information to youth about the value of marriage, and help connect them with community resources that will help them relearn the skills needed to sustain those healthy marriages,” she said.

Almost 40 percent of all single-parent families with children were poor in 2009; less than 7 percent of married couples with children were poor.

According to the report, nearly 75 percent of poor families in the United States are headed by single parents.