The challenges of low-income co-parenting

Authors Shah et al. reused restricted panel data in the Building Strong Families (BSF) Project Data Collection, 2005-2008, which they obtained from the ICPSR Member Archive. The BSF study focused on relationship skill education for a specific and often understudied group: low-income, racially diverse, unmarried couples who are transitioning into parenthood. These couples were interviewed when they were expecting their child, again when the child was 15 months old, and a third time when the child was three years old. Shah et al. specifically used data from over 3,000 couples in the third wave, when they were asked about their depressive symptoms, financial stress, co-parenting alliance, and constructive conflict. Other studies on relationship dynamics often focus on middle-class or married couples. By using the BSF data, Shah et al. were able to identify specific vulnerabilities and stressors, such as financial hardship, that are highly relevant to low-income parents. They found that when the BSF parents experienced high levels of depression, their ability to manage their relationships adaptively, such as engaging in constructive conflict, was challenged. This challenge is partly explained by the greater financial stress they faced. These results emphasize the need for support programs that help unmarried, low-income parents by focusing both on mental health issues and external pressures to promote healthier family interactions. More publications using BSF data are collected here.

November 13, 2025