This hearing examined the history, current status and trends, and strengths of American families. Testimony (1) described the complex and intense daily life of members of blended families and pointed out that social, financial, and other supports needed by stepfamilies are often not available; (2) provided accounts of personal experiences with family problems; (3) offered an historical perspective on American families and highlighted several recent changes in family life; (4) described three major forms of families with children, each with its own set of strengths and vulnerabilities; (5) reported research on the characteristics of strong families and suggested several areas of policy to promote family strengths; (6) described a study of stable black families examining the factors and conditions contributing to strong black family life in a variety of family arrangements; (7) described characteristics of the father's role in the family; (8) discussed the nature and effectiveness of family support and education programs; (9) documents how a family-oriented medical care program can promote recovery in a cost-effective manner; (10) defined strong families and described the diversity of family structure and patterns represented by strong families; and (11) discussed some of the policy implications of research on family strengths. (RH)