In 40 U.S. states, most children growing up in broken homes

For teens who are 17 years old, there are only 10 states in the country where they are likely to still be living with their own married mother and father, says a new report.
FamiliesWithChildrenUtah, Minnesota, Nebraska and New Jersey lead the nation in “intact” families, said Patrick F. Fagan, author of the fourth annual Index of Family Belonging and Rejection. But in 40 states and the District of Columbia, 17-year-olds are highly likely to have experienced the breakup of their biological parents.
This means 54 percent of U.S. teens are growing up in homes without at least one of their own parents. This is a national crisis, Mr. Fagan, senior fellow and director of the Marriage and Religion Research Institute (MARRI), told a Wednesday event at the Family Research Council. …
MARRI tracks family structure and religious worship and their impacts on school performance, social behaviors, income and use of government welfare programs. Its research has found that outcomes go in the right direction when people are in intact, married families — especially those that worship weekly.

 

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