Families are the bedrock of all societies. They can comprise anywhere from a small group to scores of individuals, and range from simple structures -- such as a married couple and one child under one roof -- to intricately complex, multigenerational combinations, living in one or more households. Invariably, as a society evolves, so does the family structure. With the modification of other factors -- for example, life expectancy, or attitudes towards adoption -- the impact on the family is telling.

The traditional structure of the American family - mother, father and children - continues to prevail for the most part as a new century unfolds. Yet, over the past several decades, U.S. society has witnessed an evolution in family structure and daily life in many respects, because of myriad factors, running the gamut from advancements in science to the composition of the workplace. Single parenthood, adoptive households, step-parenting, stay-at-home fathers, grandparents raising children are but a few of the newer tiles in the mosaic.

• The American Family - DOS IIP, Electronic Journal, 2001
• The Emerging 21st Century American Family

• America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being 2005
• American Teenagers - DOS IIP, Electronic Journal, 2005
• Who's Minding the Kids? Child Care Arrangements: Winter 2002 (P70-101), issued October 2005
• Child Care Best Practices

• 20 Leading Occupations of Employed Women
• Women Business Owners
• Report on the American Workforce
• Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2006-07 Edition
• Career Information for Kids

• Sports in America
• The Nonprofit Sector: Partner in Civil Society
• The United States: A Nation of Volunteers
• Volunteering in the United States

• Children U.S. Census Bureau
• America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being Full annual report, 2005
• America's Families and Living Arrangements 2000
• The Child Population. First data from the Census 2000 (KidsCount)
• Child Trends Databank Child Trends
• Children and the Households They Live In: 2000 US Census Bureau, Mar. 2004
• A Child's Day U.S. Census Bureau, Aug. 2003
• Kids Count 2005 Data Book Online Kids Count
• Child Support
• Living Arrangements of Children: 2001

• Administration for Children and Families. US Dept. of Health and Human Services
• Child, Youth and Family Policies: United States Clearinghouse on International Developments in Child, Youth and Family Policies at Columbia University
• The Child Care Bureau
• Council on Contemporary Families
• Harvard Family Research Project
• Child and Family Web Guide
• Snapshots of America's Families III: Tracking Change 1997 - 2002
• The National Child Care Information Center