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Research has consistently shown that family structure can facilitate or limit the ways in which parents are able to positively influence the future outcomes of their children. What is less understood is in what domains family structure matters and the magnitude of its effects over time. This paper presents existing evidence on the association between family structure and child achievement, social misbehaviors, and well-being and identifies several methodological problems associated with many of these studies. Special attention is paid to the difficulties in drawing causalconclusions about specific factors through which family structure affects children's achievements. Finally, guidelines for conducting research regarding the relationship between family structure and children's educational outcomes and social and psychological well-being are proposed. This resource is available on the Alabama Policy Institute website.