In a recently released study Claire Kamp Dush co-author of Marriage and Family: Perspectives and Complexities, challenges the conventional wisdom that two-parent family are always best for children. The advantage that children get from living in two-parent families may actually be due to family stability more than the fact that their parents are married. These findings are included in Marriage and Family.

Kamp Dush does not suggest that there are no advantages for children living in two-parent homes. Particularly for black families, the study found ways in which children did better with two parents. However, the study suggests that white and Hispanic children can do well living in single-parent homes if they have a stable home environment. The study revealed that there were no significant differences in behavior problems for children of any race if they lived in stable single-parent homes or in stable married households.

Kamp Dush’s study included 4,910 mothers and 11,428 children. She analyzed data on four variables for the children: reading and math test scores; a measure of behavioral problems; and a measure of home environment, which looked at levels of cognitive stimulation and emotional support.

Here is a video of Kamp Dush discussing the study: