Multi-Partner Parenting: Effects On Family Stability Among at-Risk Couples

Purpose: Multi-partner parenting (MPP) occurs in as many as 74% of unmarried couples and is a growing phenomenon in many families. MPP describes the occurrence of parents having children with more than one partner. As these are often the families that social workers encounter, understanding how MPP affects family and relationship stability is an important consideration for social work practice and research. Previous research demonstrates that fathers with MPP are a source of stress for many couples and a risk factor for family break-up. Despite this evidence, we know little about the timing of MPP and its effect on couples in father-only MPP cases. The purpose of this study is to explore the timing of relationship dissolution and the factors associated with its occurrence among couples who just had a baby together. The primary research question is: “To what extent does MPP influence whether and when a couple divorces or separates if they are married, cohabiting, or dating?”

Methods: The data come from three waves of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a longitudinal stratified random sample of hospital births in 20 large U.S. cities. The analytic sample consists of 3,022 married (N=813), cohabiting (N=1,329), and dating (N=880) couples. The study window is 50 months and is measured in person-months. Kaplan-Meier estimates are used to describe occurrence of dissolution by illustrating the length of time couples remain in their relationship and to test group differences. Survival analysis using discrete-time models is used to estimate the effects of MPP and covariates on relationship dissolution.

Results: The survivor function suggests a decreasing rate of remaining in the relationship over the study period. The survivor curves show that in father-only cases, as well as in father- mother MPP cases, the couple is at highest risk for separation. Furthermore, the hazard function indicates a fast rate of couple dissolution in the first three months following the birth of their child. The discrete-time survival models show that fathers with children from previous relationships have over three times the risk of separation compared to their counterparts without MPP (p < .001), and father-mother cases with MPP have over two and a half times the risk of dissolution (p < .01). Furthermore, cohabiting (p < .05) and unmarried couples (p < .001) are at higher risk of dissolution. Finally, mothers who report supportiveness (p < .01) and older mothers (p < .05) are less likely to separate from their partners.

Implications: Families in which the father has MPP children face significant risk of family break-up. Social work efforts to strengthen couple and family relationships may want to emphasize helping fathers to manage the complexities that come with sharing time and resources across households. In cases of divorce or separation, interventions may want to focus on economic and socio-emotional issues for the father including lower earnings growth and an increase in mental health problems. Social policy implications are discussed in light of the federal government's upcoming Fatherhood, Marriage, and Families Innovation Fund.