title: Parental work patterns in alternative families: influence on child development.
abstract: The increasing return to work by mothers of young children was documented for matching samples of mothers in families representing traditional marriages, single-mother units, social-contract relationships, and communal living groups. No evidence was found of negative effects on children's social, emotional, and cognitive development attributable to maternal absence due to employment.
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004651:Employment; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005364:Field Dependence-Independence; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007360:Intelligence; D008019:Life Style; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D009769:Object Attachment