| Equal shared parenting now accounts for more than 20% of post-divorce
living arrangements for children. Almost unheard of in 1970, shared
parenting has grown at an extraordinary rate. Nationwide, equal shared parenting
is selected by divorced families in increasing numbers each year. In some
states, it has become the predominant form of child custody after divorce,
accounting for nearly half of child custody awards.
The rapid growth of shared parenting means that more and more children are
being raised by two parents. The active involvement of both parents has been
shown to benefit children regardless of their parents' marital situation.
In addition, new research has shown that higher levels of shared parenting
are linked with lower levels of divorce. In other words, states that have
more shared parenting tend to have lower divorce rates. |
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Child Custody,
Divorced Families, 1997
Data sources: U.S. Census Current Population Survey.
National Center for Health Statistics.
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