My primary research interest is on the relationship between family structure and child well-being. I have examined both short-term and long-term effects of marital conflict and divorce on children. My research has also focused on both the antecedents and consequences of teen childbearing for young mothers, fathers, and children. I have been involved in a large-scale evaluation of a two-generation intervention program to assist AFDC mothers and their children.

I have been awarded a three year research grant form the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to support my investigation of the effects of post-marital unions on child well-being. My study will examine whether remarriage improves or worsens child well-being in the aftermath of divorce compared to the custodial mother living with an opposite sex partner or remaining single, net of selectivity factors. The study will employ data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-Child Supplement.