Long-Term Cohabitation among Unwed Parents: Determinants and Consequences for Children

Ryan Heath Bogle
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Ryan Heath Bogle: Bowling Green State University

No 1404, Working Papers from Princeton University, School of Public and International Affairs, Center for Research on Child Wellbeing.

Abstract: Though a great deal of prior research has examined the stability of cohabiting unions and child wellbeing in cohabiting unions, little research has attempted to integrate these two concepts. Using 4 waves of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, I examine the determinants of long-term cohabitation among a recent group of unwed parents, and the consequences of different stable unions (marriage and cohabitation) for child wellbeing. Results indicate that relationship quality is the key determinant to both long-term cohabitation and marriage among unwed parents. Moreover, there are only slight negative implications for children raised in longterm two-biological-parent cohabiting relative to stable two biological married parent families. It appears that long-term cohabitation presents a viable family structure for children.

Keywords: marriage; unions; child wellbeing; cohabitation; unwed parents (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D19 H31 I00 J12 J13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012-09
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