{"id":19514,"date":"2025-09-30T17:01:35","date_gmt":"2025-09-30T21:01:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thealfam.com\/evermore\/public\/?p=19514"},"modified":"2026-07-28T13:15:22","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T17:15:22","slug":"breaking-barriers-what-the-nations-first-ssab-report-reveals-about-orphanhood-and-americas-forgotten-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thealfam.com\/evermore\/breaking-barriers-what-the-nations-first-ssab-report-reveals-about-orphanhood-and-americas-forgotten-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Breaking Barriers: What the Nation\u2019s First SSAB Report Reveals About Orphanhood and America\u2019s Forgotten Children"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” row_position_desktop=”default” row_position_tablet=”inherit” row_position_phone=”inherit” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” flex_gap_desktop=”10px” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text css=”” text_direction=”default”]\n

Breaking Barriers: What the Nation\u2019s First SSAB Report Reveals About Orphanhood and America\u2019s Forgotten Children<\/strong><\/h1>\n

By Joyal Mulheron<\/a>, Founder and Executive Director of Evermore<\/span><\/p>\n

Brian never expected to raise three children on his own. A veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces, he had faced challenges before, but nothing prepared him for the sudden death of his wife. In the months that followed, Brian worked tirelessly to hold his family together \u2014 cooking meals, managing school drop-offs, holding down a job, and consoling his grieving children.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of Brian\u2019s children was eligible for Social Security survivors’ benefits. But Brian didn\u2019t know the program existed. No one at the hospital told him. No pamphlet appeared at the funeral home. He didn\u2019t receive a letter in the mail. By the time he learned about the program \u2014 months later \u2014 the family was facing considerable hardships. <\/span><\/p>\n

Brian\u2019s story is heartbreaking, but it is not unique. It is the story of millions of families across the country who are left to navigate grief and, for some, poverty, without access to the benefits that were created for them and to prevent social and economic decline.<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the past year, I have had the honor of advising The White House, Congress, Social Security Administration (SSA), and the Social Security Advisory Board (SSAB) on this very issue. In that role, I\u2019ve worked to bridge the gap between policymakers and the families most impacted, facilitating introductions so that officials could hear directly from parents like Brian. Time and again, these conversations revealed the same truth: families are struggling, not because they are ineligible, but because the system is too hard to find, too hard to access, and too slow to respond.<\/span><\/p>\n

That is why I am thrilled that SSAB released this report. Beyond being the first of its kind, a federal review of how survivors’ benefits are working for children and caregiving widowed parents, the issue has been overlooked in Washington for far too long.  <\/span>It\u2019s essential to recognize that this is just a first step. We need to take many more steps to address the current gaps. The good news is that many action steps do not require legislative action. Our collective efforts will not only change the future of millions of children but also fulfill our moral obligation to grieving families and taxpayers, all the while strengthening our nation\u2019s future. <\/span><\/p>\n

What the SSAB Report Found<\/b><\/h2>\n

The report, <\/span>\u201cSocial Security Benefits for Child Survivors and Caregiving Widowed Spouses,\u201d<\/span><\/i> spotlights the survivors’ insurance program \u2014 the lifeline intended to support children who have lost one or both parents. Among the key findings:<\/span><\/p>\n