2011 General Social Survey : Overview of families in Canada - being a parent in a stepfamily : a profile

The existence of stepfamilies is of particular importance because it is associated with a number of social, economic, legal and family issues.3 Financial support provided or received, family assets, the time that the children spend in the household, and the rights and responsibilities of parents and stepparents are some of the things that can be challenges and issues for the members of these famil [...] The growth in the proportion of parents in stepfamilies with children in common is due, in part, to the fact that the previous union ended when the partners were of an age to have children in a new family. [...] A larger proportion of lone fathers are available to form a stepfamily with a new spouse In parallel with the changes in the composition of stepfamilies, changes in the type of parenthood also occurred. [...] Fifteen percent of parents in a stepfamily intended to have a child sometime in the future Studies have shown that having a child together was a stabilizing factor that helped increase the longevity of unions in stepfamilies.10 In 2011, 15% of stepfamily parents said they wanted to have a child (or another child) sometime in the future. [...] The roles of parents and siblings, the economic impact of reconstituting a family, the development of children who grow up in this type of family: these are issues that can affect the daily life of stepfamily members, and why it is important to understand them.