New research finds that family structure, not race or poverty, drives school problems and mental health in children.
The Institute for Family Studies and the American Enterprise Institute analyzed National Survey of Children’s Health data and concluded that “family structure is a more powerful predictor of school problems, academic performance, and depression than are race and poverty.”
Education Department’s Nation’s Report Card breaks down results by race, sex or income but ignores family structure despite collecting that data since 2013, researchers said.
Brad Wilcox, IFS senior fellow, noted that children raised by both mother and father show stronger outcomes.
“It’s pretty clear that the character of the family you grew up in is more important than the color of your skin,” Wilcox told The Epoch Times.
The study reported 74 % of children from intact, married‑parent families earned top grades (As and Bs) versus 60 % from other structures, and children not raised by both biological parents faced 47 % higher disciplinary issues and more than double the risk of depression.
Graduating Without Basic Skills
Schools are passing students despite low proficiency, as 64 % of fourth graders read below grade level and over half of adults read below a sixth‑grade level, the National Literacy Institute says.
Baltimore City schools eliminated punitive failing policies in 2023, and a 2021 Maryland report found half of 2013 high‑school graduates needed remediation in math, English or reading.
Similar patterns appear in Texas, Alabama and Missouri, and a 2025 UC‑San Diego study found one‑in‑12 incoming students lacked middle‑school math skills, prompting UC‑Berkeley professor Zvezdelina Stankova to pause her calculus class to teach algebra fundamentals.
More than 2,000 colleges, including Ivy League and state schools, have dropped SAT or ACT requirements, while Harvard reported 60 % As in 2024‑25 versus 25 % in 2005‑06, illustrating grade inflation.
University of Michigan will omit grades for incoming students in the first term starting fall 2027 to curb the mental health crisis.
Family Structure
Wilcox argues that policies focusing on stable married families, rather than inflating or eliminating grades, better support children.
“Not every couple should marry, and not every married couple should stay together, but children benefit when parents are married and remain together,” he said.
Advocates call for ending the “marriage penalty” in federal welfare, which they say deters marriage and creates long‑term dependency.
Rep. Glenn Grothman (R‑Wis.) called the penalty “one of the most damaging and misguided features of the federal welfare system,” noting it punishes families for marrying.
Federal data show only 3 % of subsidized housing serves two‑adult households with children, compared with 30 % for female‑head households, the IFS reports.
The IFS notes a modest positive trend: the share of children living in married families fell to 64 % in 2012 and rose to 66 % in 2024.
