Most American children live in two-parent families, whether biological or adoptive.
Many children, however, do not live with both of their biological parents. Divorce and separation, births outside of marriage, remarriages, and child abuse or neglect are among the reasons these children spend at least part of their childhood with only one or neither biological parent. Families are the primary source of a child's economic and emotional resources, and the adults with whom children live are their earliest role models. The time and economic resources associated with raising children may be less for a single parent, especially if he or she is the only breadwinner. Children raised by two parents are more likely to benefit from higher household income and more attention from their parents.