About the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study

The Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) is the longest-running and only contemporary U.S. birth cohort study of young adults based on a national sample. A key part of the country’s research infrastructure, FFCWS follows children from birth through young adulthood, enabling researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to understand the impacts of family structure, education, employment, income, health, housing, and resource sharing on human development.

FFCWS serves as a vital public resource, with data made widely available to researchers, policymakers, and practitioners. More than 8,700 researchers have utilized FFCWS data to generate insights that inform the research agendas, public policy, and social programs. The vast majority of the study's data are accessible for free through public use processes with more sensitive data available through a contract process.  

Research findings based on data from the Study are published in research briefs, reports, working papers, journal articles, and book chapters (see the FFCWS Publications Archive)

FFCWS follows a stratified, multistage, probability sample of approximately 5,000 children born in large U.S. cities (population over 200,000) between 1998 and 2000, with an oversample of births to unmarried mothers. This sampling strategy resulted in the inclusion of a large number of Black, Hispanic, and low-income families. Mothers were interviewed shortly after birth, and fathers were interviewed either at the hospital or by phone. We have collected data at 7 time points, birth and when children were approximately ages 1, 3, 5, 9, 15, and 22. When weighted, the data are representative of births in large U.S. cities.

The Future of Families & Child Wellbeing Study consists of a core survey with mothers, fathers, primary caregivers, and the focal child. Additionally, collaborative projects have enriched the core study by adding new questions to the surveys or by collecting new data on a subset of parents and children. See below for more details about the core and collaborative projects.

The core study is conducted by Princeton University’s Bendheim-Thoman Center for Research on Child and Family Wellbeing (CRCFW) and the Columbia Population Research Center (CPRC). The current study leadership includes Kathryn Edin, PI at Princeton University, Jane Waldfogel, PI at Columbia University, and Anna Haskins, Co-I at University of Notre Dame. The Study founders were Sara McLanahan at Princeton University,  Irwin Garfinkel at Columbia University, and Ronald Mincy at Columbia University. 

The study is supported by public and private funds, and more information on our funders can be found on the Funders page.

Please note: The Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study changed its name to The Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS). Note that documentation and collaborative projects completed prior to January 2023 contain the study’s former name.   


image of study timeline

 

Note: Click image to enlarge

Click here for table demonstration (excel file)

 

 

Collaborative Projects