These divergences in demographic trends foreshadow a fraying of intergenerational support networks among families with fewer socioeconomic resources. The rise in single parenthood was greater among people with less education (McLanahan 2004), and their life expectancies did not grow as fast as those of people with more education (Sasson 2016). Second, these demographic changes did not occur evenly across the socioeconomic stratum. Increases in nonmarital childbearing and divorce have resulted in more people with parents who are not married to each other than before (Seltzer and Bianchi 2013).

Increases in life expectancy (Wilmoth 2000) mean that adults are more likely to have two surviving parents for longer (Watkins et al. First, the latter half of the twentieth century has seen significant demographic changes.

How many years are adults expected to have parents who are both alive and living with each other? And, does the expected number of years differ by the adult child’s educational attainment? These questions are important for two reasons. This article examines ages at childbirth, divorce, and mortality among parents to address the following questions. Parents’ timing of childbearing, divorce, and mortality determine how long an adult child can access the latent source of support provided by parents who live together. Stepparents often bring with them stepsiblings and half-siblings who may compete for resources (Aquilino 2005), and biological parents are less eager to send money to children that they had with divorced partners (Eggebeen 1992 Furstenberg et al. 2008 Pezzin and Shone 1999 Seltzer and Bianchi 2013). 1995 Light and McGarry 2004 Pezzin et al. Even after parents’ remarriage, adult children in complex families receive less financial and practical help than their peers whose parents remain together (Eggebeen 1992 Furstenberg et al. Relationships with fathers, in particular, are sensitive to parents’ divorce (Curran et al. 1994 Pezzin and Shone 1999 Silverstein and Bengtson 1997). Parents who are still married to each other are more likely than divorced, widowed, or remarried parents to rally their resources in response to their children’s needs (Aquilino 1997 Hogan et al. The family structure may influence the strength of the parental safety net. In his Burgess Awards Lecture, Bengtson ( 2001) went further to argue that intergenerational support and involvement may be a viable alternative to the nuclear family. 1996 Ward and Spitze 2007), acting as a “family National Guard” (Hagestad 1996). Parents respond to their children in times of need (Riley and Riley 1993 Ryff et al. Norms of familial support remain strong between parents and children even across separate households (Logan and Spitze 19 Rossi and Rossi 1990). They provide a safety net for their adult children, who are facing greater marital instability and economic uncertainty than previous cohorts (Furstenberg et al. Many parents remain actively engaged in their children’s lives throughout their college years and beyond, often contributing to living expenses, assisting with childcare, and helping them find a first job (Hamilton 2016). Relationships with parents are becoming increasingly consequential for adult children even as they gain financial independence and form new households (Bengtson 2001 Swartz 2009).

Intergenerational inequality, Union dissolution, Mortality Introduction Growing differences in paternal mortality also contributed to the rise in inequality. This five-year increase in disparity was driven predominantly by higher rates of union dissolution among parents of adults with less education. This disparity increased to 6.8 years in 2013. In 1988, adults with a college degree had two surviving parents living together for 1.8 years longer than nongraduates. This article examines two cohorts aged 25–49 from the 1988 ( n = 7,246) and 2013 ( n = 7,014) Panel Study of Income Dynamics Roster and Transfers Files. Greater mortality, nonmarital childbearing, and divorce among families with lower socioeconomic status may be reinforcing inequalities across generations. Improving life expectancies and health allows parents to provide for their children longer, but greater union dissolution among parents can weaken the safety net they can create for their adult children. Parents are increasingly supporting their children well into adulthood and often serve as a safety net during periods of economic and marital instability.

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