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One quarter (25%) of all Latino children live in doubled-up households, according to new data from the National Research Center on Hispanic Children and Families (NRCHCF).
Doubled-up households are “those in which children live in households with their parents(s) and with other adults, who can include other relatives (e.g., a grandparent) and those who are unrelated,” according to NRCHCF.
Let’s dig deeper into what this means and how it impacts families.
Latino Family Households by the Numbers
According to NRCHCF research, doubling up with a grandparent is the most common among such arrangements, with 15% of Hispanic/Latino children live with a parent and a grandparent.
Additionally, 7% of Latino children live with a parent and some other extended family member, and 3% live with a parent and an unrelated adult.
“Relative to all Hispanic children, a slightly lower percentage (22%) of Hispanic children in households with low incomes are doubled-up,” according to NRCHCF.
Similarly, Latino children in households with low incomes are slightly less likely to be doubled-up with a grandparent (12%) and somewhat more likely (4%) to be doubled-up with a non-relative.
Latino children living in households with at least one non-U.S.-born parent are more than twice as likely as those with only U.S.-born parents to also be living with an extended family member who is not a grandparent (9% vs. 4%).
This same group is also slightly more likely to be living with a non-relative.
The Impact of Living in Doubled-Up Households
NRCHCF highlights that he proportion of US children living in doubled-up households has increased over the past several decades.
These living arrangements are more common when a family faces economic or familial issues such as:
- low income
- high housing costs
- unemployment
- caring for a young child or a family member in poor health
According to research, children in households with low incomes, living in doubled-up arrangements, can have implications for public assistance programs that support families’ economic self-sufficiency.
“While doubling up can help families navigate some of their immediate economic stressors and family needs, it is also linked to increased residential instability, which can disrupt children’s schooling and their relationships with friends and caregivers,” according to NRCHCF.
More time spent living with non-grandparent extended family or unrelated adults during one’s childhood is associated with relatively worse health and educational outcomes in young adulthood, according to NRCHCF.
However, the same is not true for grandparent co-residence.
“As we have discussed in previous work, living with a grandparent—even one who may also need some caregiving support themselves—can expose children to valuable cultural traditions, family stories and history, and languages,” the NRCHCF report states.
Examining the Health of Your Community
While household dynamics can impact the health of families, what about the health of your community?
Find out by downloading the Salud America! Health Report Card for your town!
Enter your county name and get auto-generated local data with interactive maps and comparative gauges on several health indicators. This can help you visualize and explore local issues in education, housing, transportation, food, health, and more.
See how your county stacks up compared to the rest of your state and nation.
Then email the Report Card to local leaders to raise awareness, include the data in a presentation or grant proposal, or share it on social media to drive healthy change in your community!
By The Numbers
23.7
percent
of Latino children are living in poverty
