REVEALED – the scale of family breakdown in modern Britain laid bare: Half of children live across more than one household and a quarter of families are headed by a lone parent (and 90 PER CENT are women), shocking new figures show
- Almost half of children do not stay with both parents throughout childhood
- Figures show growing numbers of youngsters live across more than one home
- According to the ONS, one in four families is headed by a lone parent
- However a review has found the figure could in reality be as high as one in three
The scale of family breakdown has been laid bare by figures showing almost half of children do not stay with both parents throughout childhood.
A major report reveals that growing numbers of youngsters live across more than one household with separations becoming ‘quite common’.
According to the Office for National Statistics one in four families is headed by a lone parent, 90 per cent of whom are women. However, a review into contemporary family life, commissioned by the Government, has found the figure could in reality be as high as one in three.
The report from Rachel de Souza (pictured), the children’s commissioner for England, stresses that families have a crucial ‘protective effect’ that help shield people in times of crisis and can improve happiness levels and even future earnings
The stark statistics
In 23 per cent of UK families are headed by a lone parent, compared with an EU average of 13 per cent. Around 90 per cent are women.
In 44 per cent of people born in 2000-01 did not live with both their parents throughout their entire childhood.
In Getting on ‘very well’ with either parent aged 13 is associated with higher wages at the age of 25.
In 25 per cent of parents reported their relationships with children had become better during lockdown. Fewer than 5 per cent said the situation had become worse.
In The amount of time fathers spent on unpaid childcare rose from 47 minutes a day in 2014-15 to 90 minutes a day during lockdown. It has fallen back to 56 minutes in 2022.
The report from Rachel de Souza, the children’s commissioner for England, stresses that families have a crucial ‘protective effect’ that help shield people in times of crisis and can improve happiness levels and even future earnings.
Dame Rachel will today urge the next prime minister to put family ‘at the heart of all policy decisions’.
She said: ‘Having a stable and supportive family, whatever form that takes, can determine a child’s future success. Children with happy families do better in their exams, go on to get better jobs, and have higher hourly income at the age of 25. Family can insulate us from life’s adversity and challenges.’
The review examined the wellbeing of family members, long-term outcomes for children and the ‘ability of the family to withstand challenges’. It found that those who can turn to their family in times of crisis experience higher overall levels of wellbeing.
Among adults who rely on their family ‘a lot’ if they have a serious problem, 80 per cent were satisfied with life overall, according to analysis of data from an annual academic study called Understanding Society. This compared with 66 per cent for those didn’t have a supportive network around them.
The review cites the Millennium Cohort Study of 19,000 youngsters from birth to age 17 showing that 44 per cent didn’t live with both their biological parents throughout their entire childhood. A separate analysis of data from the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England showed that getting on ‘very well’ with either parent at age 13 was associated with better wages in adulthood.
The review tracked nearly 5,000 young people into adulthood and found those who could boast strong early family relationships went on to earn 2 per cent higher salaries by age 25.
The children’s commissioner’s review analysed existing data, in addition to surveying thousands of parents and children, and found ‘diverse, changing patterns of family composition’.
In 2021, there were around 8.2million families with children in the UK, according to the ONS. Of these, 23 per cent were headed by a lone parent, almost double the EU average of 13 per cent.
Data from Understanding Society data showed that ‘at any one time around 25 per cent of families are lone parent’. But, over a six-year period, the figure rises and around 33 per cent of families have been a lone-parent household at some point.
The review acknowledged that previous research has shown children whose parents are separated are ‘more likely to be disadvantaged across a range of outcomes including emotional wellbeing and education’.
However it said the picture was ‘nuanced’ and the impact of parental separation depended on ‘the level of parental conflict’.
Source: Read Full Article