Adult stepfamilies are families in which the couples who are remarrying have children who are, themselves, full-fledged adults, living independently from their parents at the time of the remarriage. In fact, adult stepchildren often have families of their own. To address the neglect of adult stepfamilies, we are establishing this website to collect and then share information about how they function.

In order to develop a better picture of adult stepfamilies, we are collecting data from all parts of the adult stepfamily: the couples who are remarrying and the adult children themselves. We want to understand what they feel, think, and do about the dilemmas brought about by their roles within the adult stepfamily.

We are working on this topic as a team of two women. One of us is a Professor of Organizational Behavior and Public Policy at the Claremont Graduate University and the other is an M.D. psychiatrist practicing in Santa Monica, with thirty years of clinical experience. We are both adult stepparents, and, as participants, we are aware of the importance of this new and growing phenomenon.

We want to hear all the voices in adult stepfamilies, all sides of the argument, and all the angles on the many issues raised by these families. We have designed a questionnaire, which should take no longer than 25 minutes to complete. The questionnaire is anonymous, so there will be no confidentiality issues. Our plan is to analyze the data and let you know the results.

If you are a remarried adult who has an adult stepchild, living outside of the home in which you and your spouse reside,
please use the Questionnaire for Parents.

If you are an adult stepchild,
please use the Questionnaire for Adult Stepchildren.

Thank you for participating in what we believe is an important study of this rapidly growing family pattern.