More than 40 per cent of Australian children live in non-traditional households
More than 40% of Australian children now lives in a home environment which doesn’t fit the old stereotype of mum, dad and the kids.
They’re labelled ‘complex’ households/non-traditional households, where children may live with a single parent; a non-biological parent, blended families or even a grandparent.
But in 2016, those complex households are very much mainstream.
Data from the Australian Institute of Family Studies shows just over 40% of children, or two in five, have experienced some form of family complexity before they’re 13.
That’s attributed to rising divorce rates, less stable de-facto relationships and multiple generations living under one roof.
The study also uncovered higher rates of complex households among parents whose own parents had separated when they were children.