Parents Apart: Differences Between Unmarried and Divorcing Parents in Separated Families
Type
With 2 in 5 births in the United States occurring outside of marriage, parents who were never married to each other are entering the family court system in increasing numbers. This study draws on data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to examine how the circumstances of unmarried parents who are living apart 5 years after having a child together compare to those of previously married parents, as well as important variations among unmarried parents. Our results show that unmarried parents are younger, have fewer children in common, are more likely to have children with other partners, and are more likely to report paternal incarceration than previously married parents. Unmarried parents who did not have a close relationship at the time of their child's birth had the weakest connections 5 years later, reporting lower levels of nonresident father contact, parental relationship quality, paternity establishment, and in-kind support than other parents living apart.