A nuclear family is typical in high-industrialized societies. Beginning in the early 20th century, the two-parent family known as the nuclear family was the predominant American family type. Generally children live with their parents until they go away to a college or university, or until they acquire their own jobs and move into their own apartment or home.
In the early mid-20th century, the family typically was the sole wage earner, and the mother was the children’s principle care giver. Today, often both parents hold jobs. Dual-earner families are the predominant type for families with children in the United States. Increasingly, one of the parents has a non-standard shift; that is, a shift that does not start in the morning and end in later afternoon. In these families, one of the parents manages the children while the other works.
Prior to school, adequate day care of children is necessary for dual-earner families. In recent years, many private companies and home-based day care centers have sprung up fulfill this need. Increasingly, a company’s arrangement of day care as well as government assistance to parents requiring day care is occurring.
