… and Young Children’s Health and Behavior
Center for Research on Child Wellbeing
Working Paper #2004-16-FF
Cynthia Osborne
Sara McLanahan
Abstract
We use data from the Fragile Families Study (N = 3317) to document the number of changes in maternal romantic partnerships experienced by children between their birth and age 3, particularly children born to unmarried mothers. We also examine the association between partnership instability and parenting, child health and behavior. We find significantly high levels of partnership instability among children born to unmarried mothers. In addition, partnership instability is negatively associated with parenting, child health, and behavioral problems for children at age 3. Each partnership change has a modest effect on each outcome, yet children who experience several partnership changes are at extreme elevated risks of negative development.
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