Copyright 2025 Marline E. Pearson
3 McLanahan, S. (2011). Family instability and complexity after a nonmarital birth. In
M. J. Carlson &P. England (Eds.), Social class and changing families in an unequal America
(pp. 108–133). Stanford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780804779081-008
Petren, R. E. (2016). Paternal multiple partner fertility and environmental chaos among
unmarried nonresident fathers. Journal of Social Service Research, 43(1), 100–114. https://
doi.org/10.1080/01488376.2016.1235069
Carlson, M. J., Pilkauskas, N. V., McLanahan, S. S., &Brooks-Gunn, J. (2011). Couples
as partners and parents over children’s early years. Journal of Marriage and Family, 73(2),
317–334. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00809.x. Couple relationship quality
is found to be predictive of greater parental engagement for both fathers and mothers.
Center for Research on Child Wellbeing. (2007, June). Parents’ relationship status five
years after a non-marital birth (Research Brief No. 39). Fragile Families.
4 For more information on the Relationship Smarts study (principle investigator Dr.
Jennifer Kerpelman, Auburn University), see Dibbleinstitute.org/wp-new/wp-
content/uploads/2020/02/Evaluation-of-a-Statewide-youth-focused-relationhship-
program.pdf for research published.
To make teaching Love Notes easier, it has been aligned to the national Sex
Education, Health, and Family and Consumer Sciences standards. Love Notes has
also been aligned with Positive Youth Development standards. You can find all
alignments on the Love Notes landing page at Dibbleinstitute.org/our-programs/
love-notes-classic/
3 McLanahan, S. (2011). Family instability and complexity after a nonmarital birth. In
M. J. Carlson &P. England (Eds.), Social class and changing families in an unequal America
(pp. 108–133). Stanford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780804779081-008
Petren, R. E. (2016). Paternal multiple partner fertility and environmental chaos among
unmarried nonresident fathers. Journal of Social Service Research, 43(1), 100–114. https://
doi.org/10.1080/01488376.2016.1235069
Carlson, M. J., Pilkauskas, N. V., McLanahan, S. S., &Brooks-Gunn, J. (2011). Couples
as partners and parents over children’s early years. Journal of Marriage and Family, 73(2),
317–334. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00809.x. Couple relationship quality
is found to be predictive of greater parental engagement for both fathers and mothers.
Center for Research on Child Wellbeing. (2007, June). Parents’ relationship status five
years after a non-marital birth (Research Brief No. 39). Fragile Families.
4 For more information on the Relationship Smarts study (principle investigator Dr.
Jennifer Kerpelman, Auburn University), see Dibbleinstitute.org/wp-new/wp-
content/uploads/2020/02/Evaluation-of-a-Statewide-youth-focused-relationhship-
program.pdf for research published.
To make teaching Love Notes easier, it has been aligned to the national Sex
Education, Health, and Family and Consumer Sciences standards. Love Notes has
also been aligned with Positive Youth Development standards. You can find all
alignments on the Love Notes landing page at Dibbleinstitute.org/our-programs/
love-notes-classic/
