More Stay-At-Home Dads Caring for Children: New Society Factors Play a Role

In 1989, 10% of fathers were a stay-at-home parent. Today that number has jumped to 16%, and many believe that social and economic factors play a big role in the growing trend. The Pew Research Center conducted a study on the topic.

The number of stay-at-home dads reached 2 million in 2012, and the number began to considerably rise after the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-2008. The higher rates of unemployment contributed to the number of fathers willing to stay home and care for the children, but there has also been a rise in the number of fathers who stay home solely to take care of their family.

The Pew Research Center recorded percentages of the types of stay-at-home dads from 1989 and 2012. The differences were drastic over the 24-year period. In 1989, 56% of stay-at-home dads were ill or disabled, compared to 35% in 2012. The biggest jump was amongst the fathers who aren't working and want to "care for the home and family." In 1989, this was only 5% of the stay-at-home dads, and today it's 21%. Other categories included "unable to find work" (15% in 1989, and 25% in 2012) and "in school/retired/other" (25% in 1989, 22% in 2012).

Whites are much more likely to be stay-at-home fathers than blacks and/or Hispanics, and also those who have higher levels of education are more likely to be at home with the children/family. Despite the increase and newfound likelihood of fathers willing to take care of the kids and family, 51% of those polled believe that the family is better off with the mother at home, compared to 8% who think the household would be better off with the father at home.

"Stay-at-home dads have a unique situation - we don't have role models so we are kind of doing this on our own and trying to figure out how to navigate the relationships that are different than we expected them to be when we first got married," said Al Watts, the president of the National At-Home Dad Network, in this BBC News article.

The Pew Research data conducted an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data that incorporated the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) from 1990 to 2013, and the Current Population Survey (CPS). The comprehensive research included all men aged 18-69 who reported living with at least one of their own children under the age of 18. The number of these fathers is now in excess of 2 million, compared to 1.1 million in 1989.