26 Sep 2016

Are same-sex parents better parents?

From Afternoons, 1:13 pm on 26 September 2016

Same-sex parents provide better quality parenting and lesbian mothers are providing the highest quality of all, according to a new study.

Research published by the Australian Institute of Families says kids with same-sex parents are generally better equipped than other children to deal with issues of equality and diversity and their families scored higher in general health and family cohesion.

The findings come at an interesting time, with Australia about to hold a referendum deciding on the issue of same-sex marriages. The study also showed that there's a growing number of same-sex parented families in Australia in spite of what's happening politcially.

Dr Simon Crouch tells Jesse Mulligan the researchers found that same-sex families were set up in a "much more negotiated" way - with parents performing roles according to their skill sets rather than (stereotyped) gender.

Dr Simon Crouch is a public health doctor and lead investigator of the Australian Study of Child Health in Same-Sex Families.