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This essay examines three aspects of mother-only families: their economic and social well-being, their consequences for children, and their role in the politics of gender, race, and social class. We conclude that economic insecurity is high in mother-only families because of the low earning capacity of single mothers, the lack of child support from nonresidential parents, and meager public benefits. We also find evidence of negative intergenerational consequences. Children in mother-only families are more likely to be poor in adulthood than children who live with both parents. They are also more likely to become single parents themselves. Economic deprivation, parental practices, and neighborhood conditions all contribute to lower socioeconomic mobility. Finally, we argue that the mother-only family has become a touchstone for a much broader set of struggles around changes in women's roles, the relationship …