What Is Bonus Families?

Bonus Families is a nonprofit organization that supports divorced or separated parents and their combined families, and it promotes the term "bonusfamily" as an alternative to "stepfamily." It is best understood as an educational and advocacy resource rather than a membership site or service provider: you go there for a framework and articles, not for legal, custody, or therapeutic casework. The organization was founded by Dr. Jann Blackstone, who coined the "bonus" language more than 30 years ago.

What a "bonusfamily" means here

The site draws a deliberate distinction between a stepfamily and a bonusfamily. Technically a bonusfamily is a stepfamily, but it does not depend on the parents being married. More central to the definition is that "bonus" is described as a state of mind: cooperation among all parent figures, including exes, for the sake of the children in their care.

That reframing extends to titles. When the commitment to work together is in place, step mom becomes bonus mom, step dad becomes bonus dad, step sister and step brother become bonus sister and bonus brother, and children become bonus daughters and bonus sons.

Why "bonus" instead of "step"

The organization's stated reason is the negative weight carried by "step" — connotations of wicked, evil, or second best. The site points to the phrase "red-headed stepchild" as an example of how clearly that negativity reads, and says the goal is to scrap the old concept and offer a model based in love, empathy, and respect for differences. In the site's own framing, "bonus" is a step in the right direction.

Who is behind it

Dr. Jann Blackstone specializes in divorce, child custody, co-parenting, and stepfamily mediation. She is described as the "Relationship Expert for Today's Relationships" for a real-life, down-to-earth approach to co-parenting problem solving, and she coined the term "bonus" as in "bonus family" or "bonus parent." She has authored books on divorce and parenting and has appeared as a guest or consultant on television and radio, including The Today Show (NBC), Keeping Kids Healthy (PBS), and The Oprah show.

What you can actually use

• Ex-Etiquette articles — the site directs readers here for help with breaking up, starting up, and co-parenting.
• A featured book — Co-Parenting For Dummies (paperback, June 16, 2026) is listed at $24.99 for pre-order, also available via Walmart.com, Barnes & Noble, and Target.com, published by Wiley & Sons.
• Foundational explanations — the "What's a Bonusfamily?" and "Why Bonus?" sections, which are the clearest statement of the organization's philosophy.

Who this is for

Bonus Families fits you if you are divorced or separated, co-parenting, or part of a combined family and you want language and reading material that reframes the arrangement positively. It is a poor fit if you need direct mediation, legal advice, or custody guidance for a specific dispute — the site presents itself as support and advocacy, and its founder's mediation background is described as background, not as an intake service. If you are in the middle of what the site calls "stepwars," the material is written to argue that cooperation is still possible, not to resolve an active conflict for you.