Nearly half of UK children now grow up outside 'traditional' two-parent household – Study

A major study has found that nearly half of the children in the UK now grow up outside a traditional nuclear family.

A review published today by Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner for England, states that 44% of those born in 2000 didn't live with both biological parents (in a traditional nuclear family) their entire childhood.

This is reportedly a marked change from 21% for children born in 1970.

It was also found that the UK has a greater proportion of single-parent families in comparison with most European nations, Sky News reports.

The study shows that of the 8.2 million families with children in the UK, 23% are headed by a single parent and about 90 per cent of such parents are women.

The proportion of lone parent families is significant as according to the study, these families are more likely to experience financial problems.

The review also states that families have "changed significantly in recent decades" citing co-habitation as a common alternative to marriage.

The study also found that a total of 49% of children in single-parent families were in relative poverty after housing costs compared with (25%) of children living in married or cohabiting families.

About 63% of families are married couples with children, (a decrease of 2 per cent in recent years, while 14% are cohabiting couples, (a rise of 3%).

More women (mothers) are also working and therefore, family composition "varies significantly according to region and ethnic background," the review states.

It also highlights significant differences by ethnicity. 57% of black Caribbean and 44% of black African families were found to be lone parents - compared with 22% for white British families.

Also, according to the review, Asian and Asian British families were most likely to be in a traditional family set-up.

For example, only 11% of Indian families were headed by a single parent and 87% were in the "married or civil partnership" category.

The Times informs that families of Asian descent, including those with Chinese, Indian, Bangladeshi, or Pakistani heritage, are far more likely to be headed by a married couple.

Among black African and black Caribbean families, (44% and 57%) were found to be headed by a single parent.

Also, 22% of white British families were in single-parent households.

The report states, “It’s more about the quality of family relationships than the composition or relative position of the family in society. It’s about strong and lasting relationships, relying on each other, and spending time together.

According to the study, spending time with family is associated with greater wellbeing, and data suggests parents of families who eat dinner together (at least six times a week) are happier with their life. Data in the report revealed that 75% of parents were happy with their life, compared with 70% overall.

“Strong families, even without extensive economic means, can provide insulation against external challenges such as poverty," said the review – while urging the government to put families at the heart of policymaking.

Children's Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza states in the review that the government should not be "squeamish" to focus about families.

She affirms, "Investing in family is the single greatest investment you can make.

"If we do it right it is self-sustaining unit and there to catch us when we fall, and if you are part of a strong family, you cast your net wider to catch others.

"I am calling on everyone to put family centre stage of their agenda.

"If we get this right at a critical moment for families across the country, we will benefit generations to come and change children's lives."

The report concludes that family has “absolute primacy” and matters to everyone. “There is little that correlates more with a child’s happiness than how happy they are with their family,” it maintains, “little that better predicts their outcomes and chances of success.”

The Times informs that (in her planned speech) De Souza states, “This review has shown for the first time ever that family has a protective effect. These core protective elements of family are love, strong and enduring relationships, the ability to depend on one another for emotional and practical support, and shared experiences.”

Part one of the family review reportedly conducted 23 focus groups and 35 interviews (with 47 children and 120 parents), as well as collecting 166 in-depth family profiles.

It is reported that researchers also used the Office for National Statistics’ Annual Population Survey to produce breakdowns of family composition by ethnicity, religion and socioeconomic status, The Times informs.

The second part of the review will reportedly be published in the months to come and is expected to look at how services can be designed to support the needs of families.