Families with children during the first two years of life: diversity of situations and changing family configurations in France from a longitudinal follow-up study of the 2011 birth cohort
Abstract
The article presents the results of a study of changes in family situations, living conditions, and relationships between parents during the first two years of a child’s life in modern France. The analysis is based on data from a unique ongoing longitudinal panel study of a cohort of children born in 2011 - the ELFE (Étude Longitudinale Française depuis l'Enfance), which monitors the diversity and dynamics of family configurations and living conditions of 18 thousand children from the moment of their birth. Changes in the family environment and family mobility were tracked using the results of responses from mothers from a subsample of “loyal” families who participated in four waves of surveys: in the maternity hospital, at the child’s age of 2 months, 1 year and 2 years. Depending on family configurations, traditional families were identified, in which there is a married couple with their common children, restructured families in which complex family structures are possible with the presence of stepfathers, stepbrothers and sisters, and monoparental families, in which, as a rule, the mother raises children in the absence of fathers or stepfathers in the household.
The study found that one in five children is born into restructured or single-parent families. Monoparental families often subsequently transform into restructured families, and the “single parent” episode is a preliminary and temporary stage for many. 17.3% of children from the ELFE cohort have at least one half-brother/sister, 6.5% of children live together with at least one half-brother/sister, 2.4% of children live with both siblings and half-siblings, 12.8% of children have brothers or sisters living separately, most often (11.3%) these are half-brothers/sisters.
One in four children has either a mother or maternal grandparents who are immigrants. At the child’s age of 2 months 56.0% of parents live in informal, consensual unions (i.e., no registered marriage or PACS). Within two years, one in five parental couples entered into a registered civil union (PACS), and 4% of couples separated during the same time. After separation, the nature of the relationship between parents is different: most often friendly - 45%, tense or very tense - 29%, indifferent - 16%, completely absent - 10%. The intensity of mobility of families with a small child under two years of age is high: 29% of children changed their place of residence, especially if the child is alone. In total, almost half of parents (44%) moved before or shortly after giving birth.
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References
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