Men’s and Women’s Reports of Nonbiological Children within the Household: Data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth

Jo Jones, National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), CDC
Brittany McGill, National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), CDC
Penelope Maza, Children's Bureau

Using data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, we provide information on the presence and relationship type of minor, nonbiological children living with male and female respondents 18 years of age or older, detail the characteristics of men and women who are caring for nonbiological children, and produce national estimates of the prevalence and characteristics of all types of relationships with nonbiological children being cared for in U.S. homes today. We find that men are more likely than women to report currently caring for a nonbiological child and the majority of these children are step children. However, persons who are currently cohabiting report larger percentages of children of other relationships residing in the household than step children—these are most likely their partner’s children. Differences in propensity to be caring for a nonbiological child are evident by age, marital status and religious affiliation for both men and women.