Children are increasingly moving between the households of separated parents. They develop 'family-type' relationships with the partners of their parents and often acquire new siblings when their parents form new relationships. This diagram maps the changes as a fictional 'Chris' and 'Rachel' move from being parents in a nuclear family to separation, and into relationships with other partners. They share the care of their children who spend some nights each week with both parents. Arrangements relating to the time children spend with each parent often change over time in shared-care situations, and the composition of households change as new families are created with new partners and their children.
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