Pew: A lot more fathers staying home with the kids

WASHINGTON, June 5 (UPI) -- While the number of stay-at-home dads has jumped in 25 years, most say they are doing it because of disability or unemployment, a report released Thursday said.

The Pew Research Center found that 35 percent of fathers who were home with their children in 2012 said they are unable to work because of chronic illness or disability. Another 23 percent said they were unable to find work, and 21 percent said that caring for the children was their main reason.

In 2012, 16 percent of at-home parents were fathers, up from 10 percent in 1989. In 1989, only 5 percent of stay-at-home dads said childcare was the main motive.

The number of stay-at-home fathers was down slightly in 2012 from the peak of 2.2 million in 2010, a year after the official end of the most recent recession. In 1989, there were 1.1 million stay-at-home dads.

Pew found that stay-at-home dads tend to have less education and are lower income than those who work. While 22 percent of those who stay home do not have a high-school diploma, 90 percent of working fathers have graduated from high school.

While more fathers are providing work-day childcare, Pew also found the share of fathers who do not live with their children is also up.

Almost 73 percent of stay-at-home mothers say their main motive is to care for their children. Only 11 percent cited chronic illness or disability.