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Figure 1 – Conceptual Framework for Marriage Education for Low-Income Stepfamilies
This diagram presents a set of boxes and arrows that present the interaction between conditions affecting stepfamilies that influence adult well-being, child well-being, and interactions with marriage education and other services stepfamilies may receive. The graphic presents intermediate outcomes and long-term outcomes likely to be associated with marriage education and other services received by stepfamilies.
The figure has three primary columns: Program Services, Intermediate Outcomes, and Long-Term Outcomes. Under Program Services, there are 2 boxes: Marriage Education Programs and Other Services (Training and Treatment). Marriage Education Programs includes the topics utilizing basic marital skills, developing understanding of and positive view of stepfamilies, utilizing effective stepparenting practices, navigating relationships with former spouses/partners, negotiating stepfamily roles and rules, utilizing financial management skills, utilizing effective parenting practices, and building other supporting connections inside and outside the family. Service delivery includes format and design, outreach and recruitment, setting, and staffing. Marriage Education Programs leads to intermediate outcomes in the areas of stepfamily relationships and adult well-being.
Other Services includes treatment for mental health issues, treatment for substance abuse, treatment /referral for DV, employment services, and literacy skills. This box influences intermediate outcomes—specifically individual characteristics within conditions affecting stepfamilies.
Intermediate Outcomes is comprised of Stepfamily Relationships. Stepfamily Relationships consist of basic marital skills, understanding unique stepfamily characteristics, effective stepparent-stepchild relationship(s), appropriate relationship with former partner(s), effective parent-child relationship(s), and supportive connections inside and outside the family. It affects marital quality, and has a reciprocal relationship with adult well-being.
The long-term outcomes listed include marital quality, marital stability, adult well-being, and child well-being. The arrows indicate that marital quality, adult well-being, and child well-being all influence one another. In addition, marital stability and child well-being influence each other, and marital quality influences marital stability.
The conceptual framework also takes into account conditions affecting stepfamilies. These include individual characteristics (mental health issues, substance abuse issues, domestic violence, lack of job skills, and low literacy/education); stepfamily characteristics (stage of stepfamily, age of children, and stepfamily complexity); and community characteristics (cultural norms and assumptions, economic hardship, and high unemployment). These conditions affect the relationship between marriage education programs and stepfamily relationships, as well as adult well-being and child well-being outcomes.
Exhibit 2: Percent of U.S. Married Couples with Varying Experiences in Stepfamilies: 1987-1988
This graph presents information about couples who have any resident minor stepchildren;
any resident or non-resident minor stepchildren; or any resident or non-resident minor stepchildren or spouse who spent time in a stepfamily growing up, by categories of couples.
Among “All Couples” (n=3,711)
10.6 percent have “any resident minor stepchildren”
16.8 percent have “any resident or non-resident minor stepchildren”
31.2 percent have “any resident or non-resident minor stepchildren or a spouse who spent time in a stepfamily growing up”
Among those with income “less than 200 percent of poverty” (n=749)
13.0 percent have “any resident minor stepchildren”
20.0 percent have “any resident or non-resident minor stepchildren”
39.0 percent have “any resident or non-resident minor stepchildren or a spouse who spent time in a stepfamily growing up”
Among those where “husband has no education beyond high school” (n=1,802)
13.4 percent have “any resident minor stepchildren”
20.8 percent have “any resident or non-resident minor stepchildren”
38.0 percent have “any resident or non-resident minor stepchildren or a spouse who spent time in a stepfamily growing up”
Among “African American” couples (n=409)
18.6 percent have “any resident minor stepchildren”
30.2 percent have “any resident or non-resident minor stepchildren”
44.8 percent have “any resident or non-resident minor stepchildren or a spouse who spent time in a stepfamily growing up”
Among “Hispanic” couples (n=272)
11.7 percent have “any resident minor stepchildren”
17.8 percent have “any resident or non-resident minor stepchildren”
33.9 percent have “any resident or non-resident minor stepchildren or a spouse who spent time in a stepfamily growing up”
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