The theory that the “hollowing out of marriage” is harming children comes from the kinds of statistics and anecdotes described earlier this year in “Two Classes, Divided by ‘I Do’”: lower scores on standardized tests, poorer grades and an increased likelihood of dropping out of high school or failing to attend college; and stories of single parents with little time left after work, who struggle to provide the same access to activities, help with homework or even to read aloud.

Neither those statistics nor the anecdotes are true of every home headed by a single parent. But some observers, like Jason DeParle, who wrote “Two Classes” and an accompanying Economix blog post, suggest a link between rising income inequality, particularly among households with children, and the increase in the number of households headed by a single parent in the “second quarter” of families — the working class.

That rising income inequality is a likely driver for many of the risk factors for children in single-parent households. The “Call for a New Conversation” echoes that concern: “We propose a new conversation that re-establishes the link between marriage and money, the nest and the nest egg. What economic policies strengthen marriage? What marriage policies create wealth?”

I'd like to believe that most single parents want to find someone to get married to.

It's not economic incentives that they need. It's the ability to find someone compatible.