Within five years of going through a separation or divorce, up to half of parents will have remarried, meaning that early years practitioners will work with a wide range of family structures and care arrangements.
One of the fastest-growing family types in Britain is the stepfamily. In 2011, 85 per cent of these ‘blended’ families had a mother and stepfather, while in 11 per cent they were formed of a father and stepmother, and four per cent included children from both partners’ previous relationships (General Lifestyle Survey for Great Britain). It is therefore important for practitioners to get to know the make-up of individual families and be aware of potential issues and day-to-day practicalities that this may involve – from the logistics of children splitting their time between different households to the emotions of adjusting to a new step-parent.
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