By Samantha Camire

Excerpt:

In a report from the Center for Law and Social Policy, an anti-poverty nonprofit, researcher Mary Parke did find differences between children raised in a two-parent biological family and those raised by a single parent or divorced parents. But she noted that “marriage may also be a proxy for other parental characteristics that are associated with relationship stability and positive child outcomes.”

She found that much of the higher risk for negative outcomes for children with non-married parents was attributable to reduced household income or turmoil when a children’s parents separate. Ultimately, the report finds that while marriage is most likely to provide the conditions needed for a child to thrive—“consistent, stable, loving attention from two parents who cooperate and who have sufficient resources and support”—these conditions can exist in other parental arrangements.

Read the full article in The Nation here.