Support for Single Parents in Fargo & Moorhead

single parents

The United States has the world’s highest rate of children living in single-parent households, with 23% of children under the age of 18 living with one parent and no other adults.

This number is more than triple the average percentage of children living in single-parent households worldwide.

With such a high percentage of single-parent households across the U.S., my own household included, I had to stop and think about what the single-parent experience looks like in our community.

Every single-parent experience is different.

We have varying roads by which we got here. We might have full physical custody or share time with another parent. Our children might be babies, toddlers, school-age, tweens, teens, or college students. But there are similar struggles we share along the way, including loneliness, overwhelm, jealousy, decision fatigue — and also joy, pride, independence, and love.

Almost 10 years ago, I became a single parent of a then 2-year-old son following a difficult divorce. There were many hard things about that season of my life, but in many ways, I was incredibly lucky. I had a roof over my head, stable employment, and a reliable childcare option. I had knowledgeable and supportive people surrounding me — a few loyal friends, a counselor, and most of all, my parents and older brother. 

Yet even with all those things, being a solo parent was (and still is) hard.

Being alone to carry the weight of running a household and caring for a child is hard. Finding available resources for myself and my child is hard. Not having enough money at the end of a month is hard. Co-parenting is hard. Asking for help from friends and family is hard. Putting yourself out there and being vulnerable is hard. Finding connection is hard.

And every single parent isn’t as lucky as I have been.

In the times where I turn to my mom, mentor, or best friend with questions about parenting, finances, or something as simple as when the heck you’re supposed to start taking your kid to the dentist, others are left doing the best they can to figure it out on their own.

And it’s made me wonder, what could a little bit of support, mentorship, knowledge, and connection do for single parents in our community?

It Takes a Village: Single Parent Support

This past fall, I had the privilege of joining the Leadership Program hosted by the Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo Chamber of Commerce. Each member of our class was asked to create a proposal with the goal of solving a problem in our community. The question I presented was, “How can we connect single parents to a network, arm them with information and knowledge, and provide them with a streamlined way to access community resources?”

Following that presentation, an incredible group was formed, all of us with the common goal of helping to answer that question for our community. 

So where are we starting? Right here… 

It Takes a Village – Single Parent Support is a community created to provide single parents with simple access to information and resources, and to create connections that grow their support system. 

In this community you will find resources compiled from vetted, public sources to help arm single parents with the tools they need to tackle what comes their way. Resource lists have been created on the following topics:

  • Health/Nutrition 
  • Mental Health
  • Childcare
  • Finances
  • Social Opportunities
  • And much more!

“It Takes a Village” is also an opportunity to connect with other single parents through a private Facebook group where we can lean on one another for support, ask the tough questions, celebrate our wins, and gain wisdom from those who are going through similar circumstances.

Later this spring, we plan to hold our first in-person gathering for single parents and their children. We hope to expand this to a regular gathering where connections can be forged in person through conversation and play.

Our hope is that this group will be empowering, encouraging, and life-giving for single parents in our community. We invite you to join us!

Learn More & Find Support:

About the Author

jana davisJana Davis was born and raised in Moorhead and now lives in West Fargo with her son, Jack, and rescue dog, Peter. You will often find her engaging in family game nights, movie marathons, and evening fires in the backyard.

With more than 10 years of experience in communications, graphic design, and advertising, Jana joined Vaaler Insurance, a Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC Company, in early 2021 as a Communications Specialist. Her favorite part of her role at Vaaler is creating and nurturing community partnerships.

Jana is a knowledge junkie, patron of the arts, and college sports fan. She enjoys visiting new places, perfecting her baking skills, and supporting her son at his many activities and sporting events.

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