Parenthood and Partnerships Among Young Adults

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Working Paper Number: SEHSD-WP2021-22

Introduction

Understanding the relationships and living arrangements of young parents and their children is crucial because they overlap during critical stages in life. For the parents, childbearing is taking place during emerging adulthood, when education, employment, and partnership decisions can have lasting implications for their futures. At the same time, these events are taking place during their children’s first few years of life, which are important for their own cognitive and behavioral development. Using 2018 data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation, this paper analyzes the current socioeconomic characteristics, living arrangements, and parental involvement patterns of young parents 15-22 years old. I make select comparisons to nonparent peers and older parents.

Presentation

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