The Family Is Experiencing Assaults On Many ...

The family is experiencing assaults on many fronts in the 21st century, but the U.S. Census Bureau reported February 20, 2008, that the traditional family of husband, wife, and two or more children is still common. The U.S. Census Bureau report said that almost 45 million (61 percent) of the nation’s 73 million children younger than 18 lived with their biological mother and father in 2004 regardless of the parents’ marital status; of these children, 42.7 million lived with both parents who were married to each other. Outside of the 45 million, 4.1 million lived with a biological mother and stepfather, and 19.3 million children lived with one parent, with the majority of these (88 percent) living with their mother.

A view of all children shows that 94 percent of children lived with at least one biological parent, while 8 percent lived with at least one stepparent and 2 percent lived with at least one adoptive parent.

Family often goes beyond a husband and a wife to include children. Most children lived with at least one sibling (79 percent). The majority (64 percent) lived with one or two siblings, while 5 percent lived with four or more siblings.

The Latest Family Figures from the U.S. Census Bureau