The Facts on Stepfamilies in Oklahoma

Did you know:

• Oklahoma is tied with Arkansas with the highest rate of women who have been married three times or more (10% compared to national average of 5%); Oklahoma is second to Arkansas with the highest rate of men who have been married three times or more (9% compared to national average of 5%) [Pew Research, October 2009]
• Currently, 1 out of 3 Americans is a stepchild, stepparent, or in some other way part of a stepfamily.
• While the overall divorce rate in America is between 45-50%, the remarriage divorce rate (when at least one partner has been married before) has been reported to be 60%.
• “Simple stepfamilies” (where only one partner brought a child or children to the new marriage) divorced at a rate of 65%; when both partners had children from previous relationships (“complex stepfamilies”) the divorce rate was slightly more than 70%.
• According to George Barna, 32% of born-again Christians have experienced divorce (33% in U.S. general population). Most of these people remarry (75%) and many have experienced divorce a second time (23%).
• 46% of all weddings in the US today are remarriages for at least one partner. Most of these marriages include children from previous relationships (see the next statistic).
• Approximately 30% of all weddings in the US give birth to a stepfamily (i.e., are stepcouple weddings), and now we know that without intervention around 60-70% will end in legal divorce.
• For children, the legal divorce is only the beginning of the distinctive, lifelong experience of growing up in a post-divorce family. Therefore, clergy must be aware of the needs of young people not just at the time of their parents' separation and divorce but throughout the life cycle.
• 30% of all children today are born out-of-wedlock; 41% of [those] babies are born to cohabiting couples.” The first marriage for these single parents will create a stepfamily home.

Attend the Building a Successful Stepfamily conference, May 14-15, for anwers on how to strengthen your present of future family. See http://www.marriagenetworkok.net/ for more info of call 405.792.2586.