More Fathers Becoming Children's Primary Caregiver

Religion Today | Updated: Jun 12, 2012

More Fathers Becoming Children's Primary Caregiver

May 3, 2012

More fathers are becoming their children's primary caregiver, WORLD News Service reports. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 32 percent of fathers who have a wife in the workforce took care of their kids at least one day a week in 2010, up from 26 percent in 2002. Of those with kids under the age of five, 20 percent of dads in 2010 were the primary caretaker. Lynda Laughlin, a family demographer at the Census Bureau, said the reason was "a combination of mothers going to work and fathers being out of work as a result of the recession." Another reason is the closing of the wage gap between the genders: "In 2008, 26 percent of women living in dual-income households had annual earnings that were at least 10 percentage points higher than their spouse," CNN Money reported.

More Fathers Becoming Children's Primary Caregiver