The nuclear family unit of a father, mother, 2.5 children and a family pet is slowly fading into the stratosphere. Since World War II, the family structure has been affected by the need for more wages, social leniency toward divorce, longer life spans and premarital relations. The result is that families are less likely to fit into the mold of the the nuclear family, and more likely to include families that have one parent, step children or several generations of kin living under one roof.
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Extended Families
• As the life expectancy of American men and women has risen dramatically since 1900, more adults are faced with the decision of how to care for their aging parents. When nursing homes and assisted living facilities are out of the question, and an elderly person is no longer able to live alone, either due to physical, emotional or financial reasons, their adult children often allow them to move into their homes. Grandparents can serve as role models or babysitters to grandchildren when they live together. Another issue with extended families is the large number of college graduates who are unable to find employment once they get their degree, and return to live in their parents' home. This can lead to three generations of family members living in one home.

Dual Working Parents
• According to Urie Bronfenbrenner, another factor of World War II has been the increased need for both parents to work outside of the home. During the war, with men overseas, women were entering the workforce, proving that they were capable to doing physical labor the same as men. As this social barrier broke, and with the decrease in financial stability following the war, women continued to work outside of the home. This trend has remained in America, and has developed into the social norm, with both parents gaining an equal opportunity to provide financial resources for the family as well as security for themselves in case their partner is no longer able to contribute to family. However, with both parents working, children are spending more time at home alone, in day care facilities or with other adults who are taking the place of their parents.

Single-Parent Families
• Since the 1970s there has been an escalation of single-parent households, with the great majority being headed by the mother, according to Urie Bronfenbrenner in the Peabody Journal of Education. Since the 1970s the number of unmarried couples who are living in a household has more than tripled. When a couple is not recognized by marriage, there are no legal protections or statues to reinforce the family unit as a whole. Other important factors contributing to single-parent families include becoming a widow, divorcee or marital separation. The financial burden placed on one parent is increased significantly, and single-parent families are living in poverty at a greater rate than those with two-wage earners.
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