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Stepfather Involvement and Stepfather–Child Relationship Quality: Race and Parental Marital Status as Moderators

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Journal of Marital and Family Therapy

Published online on

Abstract

Stepparent–child relationship quality is linked to stepfamily stability and children's well‐being. Yet, the literature offers an incomplete understanding of factors that promote high‐quality stepparent–child relationships, especially among socio‐demographically diverse stepfamilies. In this study, we explore the association between stepfather involvement and stepfather–child relationship quality among a racially diverse and predominately low‐income sample of stepfamilies with preadolescent children. Using a subsample of 467 mother–stepfather families from year 9 of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, results indicate that stepfather involvement is positively associated with stepfather–child relationship quality. This association is statistically indistinguishable across racial groups, although the association is stronger among children in cohabiting stepfamilies compared to children in married stepfamilies.