ABSTRACT
Dismay about the negative effects of changes in family structure can be heard throughout our society, from many parts of the political spectrum. President Clinton and former Vice President Quayle each sounded the alarm about family structure in recent speeches (Ingwerson, 1994; Office of the Press Secretary, 1994). Many of us would agree that raising a child and educating that child are difficult tasks, even when two biological parents devote themselves to their parental responsibilities. Those two parents, it would seem, need an adequate income, a safe home, and a safe neighborhood. The two biological parents also would need the support of a network of extended kin and friends and the support of social institutions, such as schools, all acting in the best interests of the child.
