Family blending (FBLF)

Intact

An intact family is a couple family containing at least one child who is the natural or adopted child of both partners in the couple. It does not include a child who is the step child of either partner in the couple.

Step

A step family is a couple family containing one or more children, at least one of whom is the step child of one of the partners in the couple, and none of whom is the natural or adopted child of both members of the couple.

Blended

A blended family is a couple family containing two 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 step child of either partner in the couple.

Other families

Other couple family refers to families containing one or more children where no child is the natural or adopted child of either partner in the couple; and no child is the step child of either parent in the couple. Examples include:

• couples with foster children of any age
• otherwise related or unrelated children aged under 15 years
• grandchildren being raised by their grandparents

1. Intact family with no other children present

A couple family containing:

• at least one child who is the natural or adopted child of both partners in the couple
• no child who is the step child of either partner in the couple
• no other children (e.g. otherwise related or unrelated children, such as foster children or grandchildren being raised by their grandparents)

2. Step family with no other children present

A couple family containing:

• one or more children, with at least one a step child of one of the partners in the couple  
• no children who are natural or adopted children of both members of the couple
• no other children (e.g. otherwise related or unrelated children, such as foster children or grandchildren being raised by their grandparents)

3. Blended family with no other children present 

A couple family containing:

• two or more children, with at least one child a natural or adopted child of both members of the couple
• at least one child that is a step child of either partner in the couple
• no other children (e.g. otherwise related or unrelated children, such as foster children or grandchildren being raised by their grandparents)

4. Intact family with other children present

A couple family containing:

• two or more children, with at least one child a natural or adopted child of both partners in the couple
• no child is a step child of either partner in the couple
• at least one is an other child (e.g. an otherwise related or unrelated child, such as a foster child, or a grandchild being raised by their grandparents)

5. Step family with other children present

A couple family containing:

• two or more children, with at least one child the step child of one of the partners in the couple
• no child that is natural or adopted of both members of the couple
• at least one is an other child (e.g. an otherwise related or unrelated child, such as a foster child or a grandchild being raised by his or her grandparents)

6. Blended family with other children present 

A couple family containing:

• three or more children, with at least one child a natural or adopted child of both members of the couple
• at least one step child of either partner in the couple
• at least one other child (e.g. an otherwise related or unrelated child, such as a foster child, or a grandchild being raised by their grandparents)

7. Other couple family with other children only

• a couple family containing one or more children, all of whom are neither the natural children of either partner in the couple, nor the step children of both partners in the couple.

The Census asks a number of questions for usual residents who were temporarily absent on Census night, these are known as persons temporarily absent (PTA) questions. The PTA questions below are used to derive this variable.