Term: Stepfamily / Blended Family

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Glossary Definition

Last Updated: 2024-03-12

Definition:

A stepfamily is ‘a couple family containing one or more children, at least one of whom is the stepchild of one of the partners, and none of whom is the natural or adopted child of both members of the couple’. The stepfamily can contain such children of each married spouse or common-law partner.

When a stepfamily also contains biological or adopted children from the current relationship, a blended family is formed. A blended family is ‘a couple family containing 2 or more children, of whom at least one is the natural or adopted child of both members of the couple, and at least one is the stepchild of either partner in the couple’. (Source: Statistics Canada. “Stepfamily.” Definitions, data sources and methods. September 9, 2021. (Published on Statistics Canada website: https://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p3Var.pl?Function=Unit&Id=94304 - accessed on February 21, 2024.)

Related concepts 

• Family Structure Overview - Links to Family Structure Data and Related Concepts and Glossary Terms
• Marriage
• Mother of a Child

Related terms 

• Family Size
• Multiple child family
• Spouse
• Two Parent Family

References 

• Statistics Canada. “Stepfamily.” Definitions, data sources and methods. September 9, 2021. (Published on Statistics Canada website: https://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p3Var.pl?Function=Unit&Id=94304 - accessed on February 20, 2024). [Summary] (View)