According to the U.S. Census Bureau:

• In 2001, 72.5 million children under 18 lived in households.
The majority of these children (51.1 million) lived with two parents. Three percent (2.1 million) of all children lived with two parents who were not married to each other.
• Among the 18.5 million children living with only one unmarried
parent, 2.2 million lived with their father.
• Of the 1.4 million children living in households with at least one adoptive parent, 44 percent lived with two adoptive parents.
• Fifteen percent of children (10.6 million) lived in blended families. About half of these children, 5.1 million, lived with at least one stepparent.
• 15.1 million children lived in households with no brothers or sisters present (21 percent).
• 6.2 million children lived with at least one grandparent, and 1.4 million of these children had no parent present.

In each and every case, the welfare and well being of these children, especially those not living with both parents, depends to a large extent on the health and ability of the custodial person. Too many times, in the event of the death or disability of the custodial person, the child's future is left up to chance and the government.

In all of these situations, the people caring for the child could better provide for that child's security through a Will or Trust. Even a simple Will would give the child a chance for some inheritance, especially in those situations where the child is being raised by a relative, such as a grandparent. If the grandparent dies without a Will, the child does not automatically inherit anything. All of the grandparents' estate may go to the absent parent of the child, who did not provide for the child in the first instance.