The rising costs of eggs and motherhood

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The cost of eggs is nearly $8 a dozen at Cub Foods. The cost of child care has risen by more than 32% over the past decade. Rent is outpacing wages in nearly every major city, forcing families to make impossible choices between housing, food and extracurricular activities for their children.

Many of these families are headed by single mothers who are being asked to do more with less — less financial security, less affordable child care and less community support.

The challenges single moms face today are not new — they are the result of decades of systemic barriers that have kept families locked in cycles of poverty. Federal programs like food assistance, child care subsidies and affordable housing initiatives have historically provided lifelines, but they were never enough to address the root causes of economic instability. Now, there are discussions of those lifelines being cut even further under proposals before Congress.

With all these economic challenges, our communities should not expect single moms to just “figure it out.” We have to let families know that they are not alone, that we are in this together. That’s what Jeremiah Program (JP) has done for nearly 30 years — and continues to do.

“There is a lot of uncertainty and fear,” says Maia Jackson, a JP mom living in the Fargo-Moorhead area. “For me, the most challenging thing is hearing about a proposed policy that would end SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and cut Medicaid and education programs. It’s exhausting to go about my day-to-day life, working hard as a student, mom and employee, while not knowing if my access to food, health care and education will go away.”

If these programs are cut, the 24-year-old will not be able to graduate on time or have insurance for her daughter. Her dream to enter law school will be delayed or forever unfulfilled. “I have to fight to drown out the voices that would tell me I am a drain on society and better off in the cold,” she says. “The struggle is real right now, but I still have hope because I am not alone in feeling this way.”

This mom’s story isn’t unique — it’s a reality for millions of single mothers across the country who are expected to keep doing more with less. From food to rent to health care to child care, the rising cost of living is squeezing families like hers, making it harder to break the cycle of poverty.

At JP, we know that single moms don’t just need a financial break; they need a system that works with them, not against them. JP works to ensure participants feel seen and supported throughout their economic mobility journey, recognizing that sustainable progress takes time. As a result, we work alongside single mothers, not just to help them get by, but to support them as they move ahead. Our mission is rooted in a simple but powerful belief: When single moms succeed, their children thrive and communities prosper.

As federal programs shrink, it’s more critical than ever that everyone — state and local leaders, businesses, and communities — invest in policies that actually work: affordable child care, paid family leave, fair wages and housing security.

We can combat this together. A family experiencing poverty is not going through an individual struggle because we are all part of a community; we do nothing alone.

We all must recognize persistent poverty as a systemic issue that requires collective solutions. Because no mother should have to choose between buying eggs and ensuring that she and her child have the opportunity and resources to thrive.

Chastity Lord is president and CEO of Jeremiah Program, a nonprofit headquartered in Minneapolis that works alongside single mothers to disrupt the cycle of poverty two generations at a time. It is hosting its 2025 Summit Weekend this weekend at Mystic Lake Center with about 1,500 attendees expected from across the U.S.