Co-Residence and Geographic Proximity of Parents and Adult Children in Intact and Step Families

Judith A. Seltzer, University of California, Los Angeles
Suzanne M. Bianchi, University of California, Los Angeles
Kathleen McGarry, University of California, Los Angeles
Jenjira Yahirun, University of California, Los Angeles

High rates of divorce and remarriage have altered the composition of U.S. families, potentially disrupting the willingness and ability of parents and adult children to help each other. Compared to biological parents, stepparents and children are less emotionally close and have more conflict early in life. Some evidence shows that stepparents and adult children also have weaker relationships later in life. Children who live with or near a parent provide more help than children who live farther away. This paper uses longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study to describe differences in co-residence and geographic proximity of biological and step children to parents and how these arrangements change over time. The results provide insight on how changes in family demography are likely to affect caregiving in later life.