Debate Desk
Does Family Structure Not Matter for How Children Do in Life?
Children flourish in many kinds of homes, but on average, growing up with both parents helps, and policy should not pretend otherwise.
The claim
Critics say that love, not structure, is what children need, that they thrive with single parents, grandparents, adoptive parents or two parents of any kind, and that pointing to family structure ignores the real causes, such as poverty and racism.
The answer in three points
- Love matters most, and so do stability, resources and a second adult. Two parents can share income, time and supervision, and a child with a father who is involved has another source of guidance. Where one parent is absent, the burden on the other rises.
- The evidence is broad. Large studies in the United States and other countries, which control for income and race, find that on average children in stable two-parent homes do better on measures such as school performance, mental health and avoiding trouble with the law. Averages do not describe any individual child.
- Honest talk about structure is a way of respecting children. We can also support single parents with practical help, strong schools and churches, and mentoring for boys who lack fathers in the home, while admitting that the ideal for most children is a stable home with a mother and a father.
Policy can help every family and still admit that stable, loving two-parent homes give children advantages that we should encourage.
The numbers
- The Census Bureau's Current Population Survey reports that a substantial minority of American children live with only one parent, with a higher share among Black children.
- Sara McLanahan and Gary Sandefur's 1994 book Growing Up with a Single Parent summarized research finding that children in single-parent families face higher risks on several outcomes, even after accounting for income.
- Daniel Patrick Moynihan's 1965 report, The Negro Family: The Case for National Action, warned of the effects of family breakdown, according to the Department of Labor.
What they will say next
"Poverty is the cause, not the structure." Poverty plays a large part, and family structure is also a major cause of poverty. The two reinforce each other.
"Studies of same-sex parents find no difference." Research there is a subject of dispute, and this card makes no claim about that. The general finding on stability is the point.
"Moynihan was blamed for blaming victims." He was criticized, and his basic warning has been vindicated by the data of the following decades.
"Divorce is better than a conflict-filled home." In high-conflict cases it often is. In low-conflict cases, divorce can be harmful to children.
The goal is to give each child the best chance, and that begins with strong families.
"Single parents often succeed against the odds." Many do, and their stories deserve admiration. The same data that show their success show that they face a steeper climb, which is a reason to help them and to support the conditions that make two-parent homes more likely.