Married couples have dropped below half of all American households for the first time, the Census Bureau says, a milestone in the evolution of the American family toward less traditional forms.
Americans are on a marriage-go-round. More men and women move from marriage to divorce to remarriage, sometimes multiple times. About 25 percent of currently married men are remarried, up from 17 percent in 1980. Women posted similar rates.
SINGLE PARENTING
One in three children in the United States today is born outside marriage, according to government records.
In 2010, some 20 million children were living without one parent.
Approximately 82.2% of custodial parents are mothers.
17.8% of custodial parents (approximately 1 in 6) are fathers.
2.5 million: Number of single fathers, up from 400,000 in 1970.
Percent of all births to unmarried women: 40.7%
According to government statistics, 72 percent of African-American children are born to unmarried mothers.
STEP-FAMILIES
1,300 step-families are formed each day.
500,000 adults become new step-parents each year.
35 million parents are step-parents.
18 million children live in step-families.
The number of households with step-children has doubled in the last ten years.
Some experts estimate that it takes as long as seven years for some children to adjust to step parents.
About 65% of remarriages involve children from the prior marriage and form blended families.
1 in 11 children lives in kinship care (living with relatives or close family
friends because their parents can no longer care for them) at some point
before turning 18.
Compared to kids in the general foster care system, children placed in
kinship care adjust better "and are less likely to experience behavioral
problems and psychiatric disorders."
(Annie E. Casey Foundation,
IFStudies.org)
In 2014, more than 2.7 million children were being raised by grandparents
and other relatives, an increase of nearly 18% in a decade.
1 in 5 black children spends time in kinship care at some point.
An estimated 9% of youths will live with extended family for at least 3
consecutive months at some point before age 18.
Circumstances which can lead to kinship care are death, child abuse and
neglect, military deployment, incarceration, and deportation.
Because of their experiences with their parents, children being raised in
families headed by other relatives often display developmental, physical,
behavioral, academic, and emotional problems. Some of these problems
include depression, anxiety, ADHD, health problems, learning disabilities,
poor school performance, and aggression.
Children in kinship care may also experience feelings of anger, rejection,
and guilt. The degree to which the children experience problems varies,
although many experience multiple problems.
Relationships among family members can also create stress for children
living in kinship care. Visits from parents can be upsetting, and often
leave children feeling hurt and confused. Due to their age difference,
grandchildren may feel disconnected from their grandparent caregivers.
Finally, household rules and expectations can be a source of tension and conflict.
FOSTER CHILDREN
On any given day, there are approximately 400,000 children in out-of-home care in the United States.
During the last year about 650,000 children spent some time in out-of-home care in the United States.
Children entering foster care remain there on average for nearly two years.
Nearly half of all children in foster care have chronic medical problems.
About half of children under five years old in foster care have developmental delays.
Up to 80 percent of all children in foster care have serious emotional problems.
Covenant House: Each year, an estimated 20,000 young people "age out" of the U.S. foster care system. Many are only 18 years old and still need support and services. Several studies show that without a lifelong connection to a caring adult, these older youth are often left vulnerable to a host of adverse situations. Compared to other youth in the United States, kids who age out of foster care are more likely to not have completed high school or received a GED, they often suffer from mental health problems, many are unemployed and live in poverty, and nearly 40% become homeless.
ADOPTED CHILDREN
Private domestic adoptions accounted for 38%, and international adoptions were at 25%. These numbers don't include step-parent adoptions.
Mental health professionals are surprised at the alarmingly high number of their patients who are adopted. Studies show an average of 25 to 35% of the young people in residential treatment centers are adoptees. This is 17 times the norm.
Adoptees are more likely to have difficulties with drug and alcohol abuse, as well as, eating disorders, attention deficit disorder, infertility, suicide and untimely pregnancies.
Adoptees are more likely to choose alternate lifestyles.
Alarmingly high numbers of adoptees are sent to disciplinary/correctional schools or are locked out of their homes [adoptive].
60 to 85% of the teens at Coldwater Canyon's Center For Personal Development, are adopted. That is 30 to 40 times the norm. The center is a private acute-care psychiatric hospital/school in Southern California.
A study of 156 victims of child sexual abuse found that the majority of the children came from disrupted or single-parent homes; only 31 percent of the children lived with both biological parents. Although stepfamilies make up only about 10 percent of all families, 27 percent of the abused children lived with either a stepfather or the mother's boyfriend.
INCOME
Single Parent
A full 61 percent of unmarried mothers report income of less than $30,000 per year.
4.1 Million Single-Mother Families Are Living In Poverty
Kinship Care
To help with day-to-day expenses, there are a variety of government programs and tax benefits that can make a big difference . . .
Blended Family
Taxes and estate planning grow more complex when remarriage or step-kids enter the picture.
