Using the LHSS Household Surveys of the World Bank in IvoryCoast we compare the different “Non-traditional household structures”, suchas fostering, orphanhood and polygamy and their impact on children healthand education outcomes. Results show that fostering can have positive con-sequences in term of schooling participation, however it can be not as goodin terms of health care investments. Concerning orphanhood, we find almost the same significant differences in the impact of mothers’ and fathers’ deaths both in terms of health investment and in schooling enrollment: less childcare and less school attendance. Further, this paper examines the impact of sibling rivalry for resources on childrens health outcomes by studying the effect of sibling composition and rank of elderness on the same health indicators. The size of the family matters. Boys are generally better off than girls and presence of female siblings can positively impact boys more than girls