May 6, 2006
Washington, DC – As Father’s Day approaches and we plan to celebrate our Dads, Child Trends reminds us of some interesting facts on fathers. Did you know that more fathers than mothers believe that two parents are more effective at raising children than one parent alone? Forty-four percent of mothers believe one parent is sufficient while only 25 percent of fathers hold that belief.
Charting Parenthood: A Statistical Portrait of Fathers and Mothers in America, reveals additional important facts about fathers. Did you know that more than one in five preschool children in two-parent families have their father as the primary caregiver when the mother is at work, attending school, or looking for work?
“Most reports on parents tend to focus on mothers and motherhood. This tendency is because mothers have been the main source of information about families,” stated Brett Brown, Ph.D., senior researcher and program area director for trends and indicators. “It is important to know how fathers feel about parenting and to understand how they became parents. Fathers can be just as important in structuring a child’s well-being as the mother.”
What else have learned about fathers?
What do fathers contribute to a child’s well-being? According to additional research conducted by Child Trends, we know that children benefit from positive relationships with their parents.
As you plan to celebrate Father’s Day, remember – Dads matter.
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