This document discusses stepfamily relationships and issues. It covers the historical development of stepfamilies, pathways to stepfamily life such as divorce and bereavement, media coverage of stepfamilies, implications for families, and federal and state policies regarding stepfamilies. The document recommends changes to policies to better recognize stepfamily relationships and provide stepparents with more legal rights and visitation options. Currently, only 11 states allow stepparent visitation and policies vary widely between states.

1. Stepfamily Issues and Rights Mary Kay Altenburg Kelsey Hodge Laura Shane Cori Mansfield

2. Stepfamily Relationships Historical Development Pathways to Stepfamily Life Media Coverage Implications for Families Federal and State Responses Recommendations for Change Introduction

3. Stepfamily Complex Simple Stepparent Stepchild Stepsibling Step-grand-parent Stepfamily Relationships

4. Death (not divorce) was the original path to stepfamily formation Imbedded inheritance issue Legal adoption by a stepparent In modern times, divorce is the most common path to stepfamily formation Historical Perspective

5. Divorce (Most Common) Bereavement Never-Married Parents At least one partner must have a child from a previous relationship Pathways to Stepfamily Life Bereavement Never-Married Divorce Remarriage/ Stepfamily Never-Married Divorce Bereavement

6. Trends and Statistics

7. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6SdCDpvTnw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki5GyO0tRWc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4W5VfT4qMYw&feature=related Stepfamilies in the Media

8. Paths by which individuals find themselves in stepfamilies have important implications for stepfamily dynamics Social Political Legal Economic Ethical Implications for Families

9. Stepfamily living can have positive and negative effects on all family members Negative: Children in stepfamilies on average: Do not achieve as well as children living with both parents academically Are more likely to leave home at a younger age Exhibit more internalizing behaviorproblems Exhibit more externalizing behavior problems as adolescents Have more peer problems and prosocial behavior problems Social Implications for Stepfamiiles

10. Federal and State Responses No federal policies regarding stepparent or stepchild visitation rights Each state determines own policies In most states, stepparents have few legal rights Stepchildren are not recognized as dependents

11. Federal Policy Policies relating to economics Inconsistent

12. CURRENT STATE POLICIES Only 11 of the Fifty states Allow visitation by a Stepparent

13. State Policy Restrictions Of the eleven states, only four do not have restrictions: Arkansas, Delaware, Kansas, Tennessee California & Illinois: unconstitutional Idaho, Louisiana, Maryland, Pennsylvania: “in loco parentis” Wisconsin: only for surviving spouse (American Bar Assn., 2009)

14. NEVADA POLICY Policy is written for “third party” visitation rights Only Grandparents are granted visitation rights, under specific circumstances Stepparents do not have visitation rights (American Bar Assn., 2009)

15. Conclusions and Recommendations