Report: Single parents, divorce cost $112B

WASHINGTON, April 15 (UPI) -- The high rate of divorce and unwed parenthood is costing U.S. taxpayers a minimum of $112 billion annually, a study in these areas indicated Tuesday.

"This study documents for the first time, that divorce and unwed childbearing ... are also costing taxpayers a ton of money," David Blankenhorn, president of the Institute for American Values, said in a news release.

Four policy and research groups -- Institute for American Values, Georgia Family Council, Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, and Families Northwest -- collaborated on "The Taxpayer Costs of Divorce and Unwed Childbearing: First-Ever Estimates for the Nation and all 50 States," presented at the National Press Club.

Several factors contributed to the costs, including anti-poverty, criminal justice and education programs, and lower taxes paid by adults "negatively affected by increased childhood poverty caused by family fragmentation," said investigator Ben Scafidi, economics professor at Georgia College & State University.

"This report now provides the basis for a national consensus that strengthening marriage is a legitimate policy concern," Blankenhorn said. "The report's numbers represent an extremely cautious estimate ... and have been vetted by a group of distinguished scholars and economists who have attached their names as advisers to this report."