Bridging the Know-Do Gap in the Stepfamily Field: Putting What Works to Work and Turning Research into Results

Stepfamilies represent a common family structure, with 42% of Americans having a close stepfamily relationship. Despite decades of robust empirical research on effective stepfamily practices, a significant know-do gap persists with serious, real-world consequences for service access and quality. This article examines two critical breakdowns in knowledge dissemination: the training desert, characterized by the near absence of stepfamily-specific content in professional training programs and continuing education; and the research silo, wherein knowledge production remains isolated within academia, inaccessible to practitioners and families. We describe structural barriers maintaining these gaps, including academic incentive systems prioritizing peer-reviewed publications over knowledge translation, paywalled access to research, mismatches between research communication formats and practitioners’ needs, and insufficient stepfamily-specific content in accreditation standards. We then propose the following nine specific strategies for building sustainable infrastructure to bridge the know-do gap: creating a formal knowledge dissemination hub, integrating stepfamily content into divorce education, strengthening training and licensing requirements, expanding the educator base, proliferating evidence-based coaching, integrating stepfamily content in therapeutic modalities, educating family law professionals, leveraging engaged scholarship approaches, and mobilizing researchers for public reach. Addressing the know-do gap requires coordinated action across multiple stakeholders to ensure stepfamilies and helping professionals can turn research into results.