A recent analysis of Census data suggests that dads may have made some progress, albeit slight, in showing courts that they are willing to and capable of being strong parental figures for their children. The study showed that there are, as of 2017, about 24 million children and teens under 18 living in a single parent home. Of those 24 million, over 50 percent of them, that is, 15 million, were residing with the mother.
On the other hand, three million, or over 12 percent, were residing with their father. To give some context to this latter number, it is less than the five million children who are living with two parents who happen not to be married.
To be fair, the percentage of children who live alone with their dads has increased considerably since 1968, from one percent to four percent. In contrast, while the number of children living with just their moms increased from 12 percent to 22 percent as of 1997, the number of children living with their moms actually decreased to 21 percent by 2017. Between 1997 and 2017, the number of children living with just their dads increased from three to four percent.
The study did not give a thorough explanation for the reason behind these numbers. However, while there has been some progress, it seems that, for whatever reason, dads are even in this day of fathers’ rights still much less likely to be chosen as a single custodial parent.
Especially if a man is concerned about gender bias, these numbers should serve as an important reminder that a man who wants a solid relationship with his children should strongly consider getting skilled and experienced legal representation when dealing with family law issues like child custody and visitation