Are Parents Responsible for their Own Children?

According to PEW Research studies in 2011, only 85% of biological parents were willing to provide financial support and caregiving for their own children. Only 56% of step-parents felt obligated for step-children.

This study provides valuable information regarding broken homes and families. It seems that 15% of parents believe that their second wife and their children with her are more important than their own children from their first family. The 44% of step-parents that felt no obligation for the children of the first family are telling us that their family (the second family) is more important than their spouse’s first family. And even for those children of the first family for which adults felt some sense of obligation, I am certain that the financial and caregiving support was less than was given to the children of the second family.