There are more than 128,300 different families living in Malta and Gozo, according to the most recent 2021 Population Census revealed.
Of these, some 41,000 are married couples with children aged under 25, just over 12,000 are single mums and about 3,800 are single dads. The rest are a mix of same-sex or opposite-sex couples living together, some with children and some without.
The census also revealed that some 25,000 people are separated and more than 7,000 are divorced.
These are people, some are parents, whose marriages broke down. But many will move on to other relationships – and form blended families, also called step-families.
These are families where one or both parents have children from a previous relationship and have combined to form a new family.
The subject of blended families was recently tackled in the first international conference organised by The Malta Foundation for the Well-being of Society, in collaboration with the University of Malta.
The conference built on research – carried out in 2016 and 2023 – by University of Malta academics Angela Abela, Sue Vella, Suzanne Piscopo and Allison Zammit Said. Their 2016 study had shown that 53 per cent of people who were divorced and 37 per cent of those who had separated, were in a new relationship.
During the conference, which brought together experts from various countries, the local academics noted that, despite this growing reality, Malta still does not have clear, current data. The 2021 census did not delve into blended families.
Academics are now calling for this data to be collected, saying this would be the first step towards understanding how this growing number of families are living and what they need.
They stressed that, contrary to what some may think, blended families are different to traditional family units – because their needs are different, as are the challenges they face.
The conference touched on some of these challenges that include: the stress brought about on their relationship by lengthy court separation cases; issues surrounding the property rights of step-parents and their rights over inheritance to a property they call home; and questions over their roles and responsibilities.
Then there are the emotional and daily issues, like navigating the different family dynamics – an example given was of a child of one parent allowed to drink soft drinks and the other not.
There are also issues over correcting each other’s children, feeling alienated within the same home, and tense relationships between biological and step-parents.
Blended families can be an emotional minefield until things settle. It emerged that many are reaching out for support through counsellors – some through government services and others privately. But are those counsellors trained to deal with the subtle differences within these families?
Research, and the collection of data, is an important first step. After that, these families need to be supported by providing them with the necessary services to help them through their challenges.
The researchers agree that blended families can thrive through open communication and by putting the well-being of the children above all else.
This is something they can work on – with the help of trained professionals, if necessary. But it’s not enough. They need to be backed by the right policies – policies that grant rights and that address responsibilities and obligations. Policies that recognise that not all families are traditional or single.
A growing number of them are now blended – and they deserve to be assisted and have their particular needs and challenges addressed.
Correction February 12, 2025: A previous version did not state that the 41,000 married couples with children are those with children aged under 25.