There are silent epidemics in our communities called illiteracy and homelessness for our children. The majority of families with children are headed by a single female. Children living in female-headed families experienced far higher rates of poverty than children in families headed by married couples or by single males. Just over half of Detroit’s children under 18 lives in poverty, compared to less than one in four children statewide. The 2010 Right Start Michigan Report ranked Detroit as “high risk” due to the city’s rank on indicators signaling a higher probability of developmental delays and health problems in the first 5 years of life. Comparing Detroit Public School students’ state and national test scores to scores of students
statewide and in urban districts nationwide, it is clear Detroit Public Schools (DPS) are in crisis. Single Family Living are working towards combating these issues by providing FREE books, one-on-one training for reading, partnering with elementary schools within Wayne, Macomb, and Oakland.