Fact Sheets

Despite the important temporary relief provided to many families by the March 2020 CARES Act, millions of American families are experiencing financial hardship as we enter the new year.

Although children appear to be less vulnerable than adults to serious COVID-19 medical complications, new data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate that they are disproportionately endangered by the pandemic’s economic toll.

June 18, 2020 Fast Facts for Father’s Day (June 21, 2020): A fact sheet prepared by Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan, Ohio State University and Kari Adamsons, University of Connecticut for the Council on Contemporary Families Mentally…Dads foster their children’s development by challenging them both cognitively and physically. Dads promote children’s communication skills by asking children questions and… Read more: How Dads Make a Difference for Their Children

January 23, 2020 A fact sheet on prospects for marriage in contemporary America prepared for the Council on Contemporary Families by Daniel L. Carlson, University of Utah, and Stephanie Coontz, The Evergreen State College January 26 is National Spouses Day, and Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.  If you’re looking for a spouse —… Read more: National Spouses Day Is This Sunday…. Feeling Any Pressure?

October 28, 2019 A fact sheet prepared for the Council on Contemporary Families by Dr. Jennifer Glass, Executive Director, Council on Contemporary Families and Professor of Sociology, University of Texas at Austin. Believe it or not, Halloween has its origins in folk customs designed to lower inequality between the rich and the poor during the… Read more: 10 Scary Facts About Child Poverty

February 6, 2019 A fact sheet prepared for the Council on Contemporary Families by Youngmin Yi, Ph.D. Candidate in Sociology, Cornell University. In the absence of clear pathways to citizenship, undocumented Mexican and Central American immigrants who came to the United States as children, commonly known as “Dreamers,” tend to live in more complex and… Read more: Household Instability and Complexity among Undocumented Immigrants

September 12, 2017 A fact sheet prepared for the Council on Contemporary Families to mark Unmarried and Single Americans Week, September 17-23, by Bella DePaulo, Ph.D., Academic Affiliate, Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara. September 17-23, 2017 is Unmarried and Single Americans Week. Today, more than 45 percent of all Americans 18… Read more: Reminder: Marriage is No Longer the Mode

July 25, 2012 Download Fact Sheet as a PDF Download Fact Sheet as a Word Document Today, almost 40 percent of all babies in the United States are born to women over 30, and almost 15 percent – 1 in 7 – are born to women 35 and over.  As the chart below of historical… Read more: Myths About Later Motherhood: Fact Sheet

Keeping healthy during the holiday season isn’t something we need to do alone, however. Decades of research by social scientists show that good relationships keep us healthy. Spouses, partners, and friends can help us to eat and sleep well, motivate us to exercise, and provide emotional support during stressful times. Here are ten tips to keep yourself (and your families) healthy throughout the holiday season.

August 30, 2011 By Naomi Gerstel, Ph.D. Professor of Sociology University of Massachusetts Download Full Report as a PDF Download Full Report as a Word Document Unmarried and singles’ week celebrates the lives of many Americans. In 2010, this group included 99.6 million people — close to half (43.6 percent) of U.S. residents 18 and older.… Read more: Single And Unmarried Americans As Family And Community Members

Since 2009, 20 states and 11 cities have designated July as Sandwich Generation Month, to recognize the dedication of Americans who are caring for their children and their own aging parents at the same time. Currently about 7 percent of employed men and women, or about 9.8 million people out of the 139.3 million employed persons in June 2011, are official members of the sandwich generation, but a much higher proportion of Americans have already experienced or will eventually experience this stressful combination of care-giving responsibilities. With the number of Americans aged 65 and older projected to increase from 40 million in 2010 to 88.5 million by 2050, the ranks of sandwich generation caregivers are poised to expand significantly.

When Senior Citizens Month was established in May 1963 (the name was changed to “Older Americans Month” in 1980), there were only 17 million living Americans who had reached their 65th birthday. Today there are more than 38 million Americans 65 and older. This year the official theme for Older Americans Month is “Connecting to the Community.” Much has been written about the “burden” of supporting an aging population, but we hear far less about the many critical contributions older people make to their families and their communities. A good deal of this work is unpaid, but its value is no less significant.

May 8, 2011 National Women’s Health Week (May 8-14, 2011) is a week-long observance spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health. The theme for 2011 is “It’s Your Time.” National Women’s Health Week empowers women to make their health a top priority, and encourages them to take steps… Read more: Celebrating Women’s Health Week: 30 Minutes a Day to Better Health

How colorblind is love? In interracial and intercultural romances, color counts for less than ever. But when it comes to marital commitments, and even public displays of affection, barriers still remain.

Back in 1963, when 17 million Americans aged 65 and older represented just 9 percent of the population, President John F. Kennedy designated May as Senior Citizens Month. Today there are almost 40 million Americans aged 65 and older, a number that is projected to increase to 88.5 million by 2050. By then they will make up 20 percent of the total population, and nearly 1 in 4 will be over 85. (By comparison, in 1900 only 4 percent of women and 3 percent of men lived to be 90.) We now know that they hate being called “senior citizens.” (President Carter changed the name to Older Americans Month in 1980.) Their numbers are swelling. What else do we know about older Americans?

December 19, 2009 By Deborah Carr, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Sociology Rutgers University Kristen W. Springer, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Sociology Rutgers University Download Full Report as a PDF Download Full Report as a Word Document The holiday season is one of the most festive times of the year. But the joys of Christmas, Hanukkah,… Read more: Keeping Your Partner (and Yourself) Healthy During the Holidays

Single Americans are 43% of the population-up from 28% 40 years ago. Single Americans are healthier and happier than ever before-and they are more likely than married Americans to help, encourage, and socialize with friends and neighbors, and to visit, contact, and help out their parents and siblings. In preparation for national Unmarried and Single Americans Week, psychologist and CCF Fellow Bella DePaulo explores myths and realities about the diverse lives of unmarried Americans. DePaulo, who researches the changing roles and status of the unmarried, argues that the persistent belief that single people are lonely and miserable just isn’t supported by the facts. In her CCF Fact Sheet, DePaulo provides data that shows that singles are not only happier and healthier than many other Americans but also make important contributions to our society. To understand why changes in singlehood have occurred and how families and individuals have changed the way they organize their lives and their relationships, CCF also provides a list of scholars who can discuss issues ranging from extended family care to single parenting, safe sex, and legal and adoption issues.

Over the last 30 years the Latino/Hispanic population in the United States has grown seven times faster than the population of the nation as a whole. Hispanics currently represent almost 15 percent of the U.S. population and within the next two decades are expected to constitute a full quarter of Americans. Although often treated as a monolithic ethnic group, Latina/os differ in their racial and ethnic identities, religious beliefs, health status, socioeconomic status, and language patterns. Lumping ALL these groups under the rubric of “Latino” or “Hispanic” masks important demographic and socioeconomic differences and perpetuates negative stereotypes.

It’s hard to know just how many stepmothers there are, because census figures don’t count stepmothers who don’t live in the same house with their children. In addition, stepmothers are not always made by an official marriage. Today many divorced parents live together without getting re-married. And of course, many lesbian couples include a stepchild and stepmother: When women make commitments to other women they become stepmothers to other women’s children too.

February 14, 2009 Download Full Report as a PDF Download Full Report as a Word Document What do you plan to give your valentine this February 14 – a bouquet of flowers, a heart-shaped box of chocolates, a candlelit dinner? Have you considered the gift that keeps on giving — a sexually transmitted infection? STD’s… Read more: Valentine’s Day Fact Sheet on Sexual Health

May 11, 2008 Download Full Report as a PDF Download Full Report as a Word Document Valerie Adrian Research Intern Council on Contemporary Families Stephanie Coontz Professor of History and Family Studies The Evergreen State College Here’s a thought for a Mother’s Day gift that would go beyond the complimentary flowers passed out by restaurants… Read more: Mother’s Day Fact Sheet on Day Care

July 6, 2006 By Gary Gates Senior Research Fellow The Williams Institute UCLA School of Law gates@law.ucla.edu; 310.825.1868 The New York Court of Appeals ruled this morning that the state Constitution does not guarantee a right to marriage for same-sex couples, and that state lawmakers, not the courts, are better suited to consider the issue,”… Read more: Myths and Realities About Same-Sex Families

The new HBO television show, “Big Love,” has led many people to contact the Council on Contemporary Families for background on polygamy. Historian Stephanie Coontz, Director of Research and Public Education at the Council, has put together background information on polygamy through this fact sheet.