Children need to have stable lives and be born within marriage

Robert Whelan Family and Youth Concern

It found 70% of children born within marriage will live all their childhoods until they are 16 with both natural parents.

Children born to co-habiting couples only have a 36% chance of living with both parents until they are 16.

As a result they are more likely to spend part of their childhood with one parent.

Robert Whelan, director of Family and Youth Concern, said the findings were no surprise.

"Co-habiting unions are inherently unstable and the problem is that policy makers now fail to distinguish between marriage and co-habitation when drawing policy and legislation," he said.

"Children need to have stable lives and be born within marriage."

National Family and Parenting Institute chief executive Mary MacLeod said marriage was a very important source of stability within family life.

"Four out of five children still live in a family with two parents, and nine out of 10 of those parents are married.

"The majority of young people still say they want to get married.

"However, if present divorce rates continue, married people will become a minority in the adult population.