Kids of Single Parents More Likely To Face Food Insecurity

Raising a family in the GTA has never been more challenging. The costs of rent, groceries, and childcare continue to rise, while wages struggle to keep pace with these increases. Many parents feel like they are on a tightrope, often losing their balance.

The situation is even more difficult for single-parent households. According to Statistics Canada, over one million children in Canada are growing up in single-parent homes, and this number continues to climb. Nearly half of these children live below the poverty line.

“Single-parent families are expected to do twice the work with half the support,” says Shoaib Khan, founder of One Parent. He adds that many feel reduced to statistics, while their teenagers are often pressured to take jobs just to help put food on the table.

However, even those job opportunities are becoming increasingly scarce due to rising youth unemployment in the GTA, leaving young people without options. Community leaders warn that this trend is impacting mental health, with some teenagers simply losing hope.

Organizations like WoodGreen are working to reinvent programs that provide stability for parents. However, until governments improve housing, childcare, and wages, families throughout the GTA will continue to struggle for mere survival.

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