Australian families are changing—and so too are the needs of those navigating them. The most recent Australian Census and divorce data from 2021 reveal just how common complex family arrangements have become.

It’s long been accepted that around one in three first marriages will end in divorce, and that the likelihood of separation increases in second or subsequent relationships. It may be a little surprising to learn that the 2021 data found the median length of marriage before divorce was 13.2 years, and nearly half of all divorces involved children.

The Census shows that in Australia, 1 in 5 families with dependent children are led by a single parent, with women heading almost 80% of these households. Although most children are born into two-parent families, only 53% still live with both biological parents by the age of 17. For many families, separation is not the end—but the beginning of an ongoing adjustment, and at The Seamless Blend, we encourage 'still a family, who just live differently'.

Step- and blended families now represent 12% of couple-parent families with children. These families often navigate shared-time arrangements, co-parenting across households, and evolving parental roles. These dynamics bring strength, but also stress—emotionally, practically, professional and relationally.

Family breakdown and hardship are among the most disruptive life events an employee can experience, with direct impacts on mental health, emotional functioning, financial stability, and workplace performance. According to the Australian Institute of Family Studies, one in three marriages ends in divorce, and 50% of separating families have children under 18, often leading to co-parenting stress, legal complexities, and reduced personal support networks.

When employers proactively recognise and support staff during periods of familial crisis — including separation, shared custody transitions, or sudden sole parenting — they not only reduce absenteeism and presenteeism but strengthen workforce trust, resilience, and retention.

Recent research from the Wellbeing Lab (2023) found that 78% of Australian employees who felt “genuinely supported” by their employer during personal hardship reported higher job satisfaction, and 64% were more likely to stay with their current employer long-term. Employers who embed flexible arrangements, access to counselling or EAPs, psychological safety, and trauma-aware management practices during such life events are consistently seen as employers of choice.

In a competitive workforce landscape, supporting employees through family breakdown is not just a wellbeing initiative — it is a strategic imperative for sustainable culture, engagement, and talent attraction.

The Seamless Blend team conducted a 2020 survey amongst men and women who had previously, or are current, blending their own family.

Our survey revealed that 66.67% of participants wanted to learn how to prioritise their marriage within a blended family. Not surprisingly these couples are busy juggling the needs of biological children, step children, work, home, and even to an extent, the ex-partners (biological parents of their children/step children).

71.44% of our surveyed families expressed difficulty because the couple have different views on parenting and discipline. And a huge 75% of surveyed men and women shared that they have a difficult relationship with their partner’s ex-partner. That is only one quarter of our families feel they have no issue with the biological parent of their step children.

Our families were very clear that their current family challenges, were specific to blending their families. They felt strongly that, while impactful on their relationships, the issues were NOT martial or relationship issues but rather challenges because of a changing (family) environment.

All of our data told us that these challenges are hugely impactful, and certainly don’t make life easy or fun all the time. There may not be a magical cure but there is a solution that is right for you and your family – and guiding you to that solution is our work.

The great news is that our survey confirmed that LOVE, PATIENCE and better COMMUNICATION were identified as strengths valued by The Seamless Blend families, and no doubt many separated, separating and blended families all over the world. These top three answers demonstrates, that regardless of the challenges single parents and blended families face, families do value the positivity of cohesion and peace even amongst the complexity that separation can bring.

The Census 2011 told us that 84% of Australian's said they would turn to family for help in testing times, highlighting the importance of family, particularly in times of hardship. Moreover, the Emotional Security Theory (Davies & Cummings) illustrates that collaborative co-parenting and harmonious blended family relationships strengthen a child's emotional security—supporting healthier emotional development, stronger relationships, greater resilience, and building a greater capacity for healthy adult relationships later in life. Studies such as Afifi & McManus, 2010 examining "family system resilience" have highlighted the benefits to children when all caregivers - biological and step parents - collaborate, respect boundaries, and present unified in support.

These and many more facts and findings fuel The Seamless Blend as we continue to encourage child-centred, family-focused digalog.