Children and Families in Historical Perspective Child Support Policy Symposium, 2014 Michael J. Rosenfeld Associate Professor of Sociology Stanford University

Source: US Census and American Community Survey data, Note that the “living with two married parents” and the “living with single mother” categories includes only natural born, or “own” children as defined by the census. The adopted, step, and foster children are in the “other” category.

Big racial differences in family structure over time Note that the “living with two married parents” and the “living with single mother” categories includes only natural born, or “own” children as defined by the census. The adopted, step, and foster children are in the “other” category

Source: weighted data from the 2009 American Community Survey. Poverty level is calculated at the household level, and includes total income including wages, pensions, welfare, and child support actually (and regularly) received. Family Structure and Children’s poverty in the US in 2009

Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s 1965 report set the stage for much of current research on the importance of family structure

Source: Smith, Morgan and Koropeckyj-Cox, Demography 1992.

Source: Developed-Nations.html Percentage of births that are nonmarital births in selected industrial nations by year

Family Resources, rather than family structure, are the main determinants of children’s outcomes Source: US census data as analyzed in Rosenfeld, 2010 Demography, “Nontraditional Families and Children’s Progress Through School”

The Changing way heterosexual couples meet over time.