Book Description

Structural changes that have taken place in Canadian families in recent decades are described in this booklet. Topical sections are as follows: (1) What Counts in Canadian Families (importance of (importance of family); (2) The Family--Variations on a Theme origins, family structure, seniors aged 60 and over, how lives are spent, religion); (3) Families Are Changing in Size and Structure (e.g., marriages and divorces, remarriage, causes of lone parenthood, age at first marriage, age at parenthood, average number of births per woman); (4) How Today's Families Are Making Ends Meet (e.g., family income, one- and two-wage earner families, poor families with children); (5) How Families Care for Each Other (e.g., where the elderly live, seniors needing help, child care need); and (6) Beyond Families: Who's Responsible? (brief answers to questions about handling problems without family support). Each section is illustrated with statistical data in graph form. Among the statistical information presented are the following: 85 percent of all young people aged 15 to 24 intend to have children; 37 percent of Canadians over age 15 have at least one foreign-born parent; the population aged 65 and over is the fastest growing segment; and children living with a lone-parent mother are five times more likely to live in poverty than those living with two parents. A French version of the booklet accompanies the English one. Contains 30 references. (LB)