According to information provided by Pew Research, there has been a marked increase in single-father families in the U.S.
What factors are responsible for this surge in single father households?
About the term “single father”
Pew Research advises that “single father” refers to men in various family situations. A little over half, or 52%, are separated, divorced, never married or widowed. These fathers are living without a cohabiting partner. However, 41% are living with such a partner.
An evolving role
Divorce rates are higher today than they were in the 1960s and 1970s and the number of non-marital births has also increased. The role of single fathers has evolved over the years as the public has become more knowledgeable about, and accepting of, fathers as caregivers. On the whole, single fathers have higher incomes than single mothers. However, single fathers are likely to have less education than married fathers.
The primary caretaker
According to Pew Research, the number of single father households increased ninefold from 1960 to 2011. In 2019, 15.76 million children were living with single mothers and 3.23 million with single fathers. It is interesting to note that in 2019, 21,000 children less than a year old were living with their divorced dads. In the state of Ohio, family courts prefer a shared custody arrangement, but this does not work in every situation. In some cases, the court will name the father as the child’s primary caretaker. Among other factors, this, of course, has contributed to the rise of the single father family.