New Zealand children in households and families: an update

Research is presented on the child welfare status of New Zealand families across several demographic categories, including two-parent, single-parent,and ethnicity, from 1981 to 1996. Findings show that while there were dramatic changes in children's living circumstances during the 1980s, comparative stability was achieved during the 1990s and was a positive change. The author advocates more research to determine what factors generated the improvements.