Single mothers in Romania: social vulnerability and public policies

This article analyses the situation of single-parent families in Romania, with a focus on single mothers, from the perspective of social vulnerability and the implications for public policy design. The study combines theoretical and empirical approaches, integrating recent data (2020–2024) from national and international sources (INS, Eurostat, OECD, World Bank) with validated international theories such as the Family Stress Model (Conger & Elder, 1994), the Vulnerability–Stress–Adaptation Model (Karney & Bradbury, 1995), and the Structural Vulnerability Framework (Biswas & Nautiyal, 2023). The analysis highlights risk factors such as economic precariousness, parental stress, limited access to social services, and social stigma, while also emphasising resilience mechanisms and the potential role of community-based support. Based on both statistical evidence and theoretical models, the paper formulates policy recommendations aimed at reducing poverty and social exclusion among single mothers, expanding psycho-social support, and strengthening integrated social services.