This report identifies significant trends and forces affecting Canada's families and the changes they are undergoing. Following an introductory section, which discusses what families are and what they do, the report consists of 14 tables and 82 charts of family-related information accompanied by written explanations of the numbers and trends. Sidebars on most pages present quotations relevant to the information on that page. Topics covered include: (1) family numbers; (2) ethnic, religious, age, and gender makeup; (3) marriage, divorce, and birth rates; (4) career, economic, and child care issues; (5) gender roles; (6) family time management; and (7) family relationships. A closing section examines troubled families, in particular those where abuse is present. Contains 264 references. (MDM)

Structural changes that have taken place in Canadian families in recent decades are described in this booklet. Topical sections are as follows: (1) What Counts in Canadian Families (importance of (importance of family); (2) The Family--Variations on a Theme origins, family structure, seniors aged 60 and over, how lives are spent, religion); (3) Families Are Changing in Size and Structure (e.g., marriages and divorces, remarriage, causes of lone parenthood, age at first marriage, age at parenthood, average number of births per woman); (4) How Today's Families Are Making Ends Meet (e.g., family income, one- and two-wage earner families, poor families with children); (5) How Families Care for Each Other (e.g., where the elderly live, seniors needing help, child care need); and (6) Beyond Families: Who's Responsible? (brief answers to questions about handling problems without family support). Each section is illustrated with statistical data in graph form. Among the statistical information presented are the following: 85 percent of all young people aged 15 to 24 intend to have children; 37 percent of Canadians over age 15 have at least one foreign-born parent; the population aged 65 and over is the fastest growing segment; and children living with a lone-parent mother are five times more likely to live in poverty than those living with two parents. A French version of the booklet accompanies the English one. Contains 30 references. (LB)