In the most comprehensive
book on the subject, McLanahan and Sandefur (1994) argue that children who grow
up without two parents are deprived of "important economic, parental, and community
resources, and that these deprivations ultimately undermine their chance of future
success," As shown below, children who grow up with both biological parents
have higher cognitive ability and get more education than those who grew up in
other types of households. As adults, they are more likely to be married, earn higher
wages, have higher family incomes, and have more financial assets.