Stay-at-home fathers get attention, but there are only 200,000

WASHINGTON, June 16 (UPI) -- Stay-at-home fathers get the lion's share of headlines, but the U.S. Census Bureau estimates fewer than 200,000 dads cared for children full-time in 2012.

A report by the U.S. Census Bureau on America's Families and Living Arrangements found 189,000 married fathers with children age 15 and younger remained out of the labor force for at least one year primarily so they can care for the family while their wives worked outside the home. These fathers cared for upward of 369,000 children.

Another U.S. Census Bureau study, "Who's Minding the Kids? Child Care," found 18 percent of U.S. preschoolers were regularly cared for by their fathers during their mothers' working hours in 2011.

There are about 70 million U.S. fathers.

The report, Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support: 2009, found in 2009, custodial fathers were due child support of $3.5 billion, but they received $1.9 billion.

Custodial mothers were due $31.7 billion in child support payments from fathers, but received $19.5 billion, the report said.