Key statistics and messages

• 85% of fathers with children under 18 say being a parent is the most or one of the most important aspects of who they are as a person.
• The US received a score of 43 percent on the Oxfam US Care Policy Scorecard. This finding means the US meets less than half of all possible criteria and that federal care policies are extremely lacking.
• On average, families spend 25% of their income on childcare. The Department of Health and Human Services says that for childcare to be affordable, it should cost no more than 7% of a family’s income.
• Lack of care policies is bad for the economy. Men and women who have caregiving responsibilities are far more likely to leave a job, stop work, or turn down a promotion or professional opportunity.
• Men and women have highly similar policy priorities when it comes to caregiving and financial stability.
  • 88% of male caregivers say that increasing investments in child and elder care, and care for people with disabilities is a policy priority.
  • 87% of male caregivers say ensuring access to paid time off to care for themselves or a loved one is a policy priority.
  • 83% of male caregivers say increasing the national minimum wage is a policy priority.
• Demand for care policies is highly similar across income groups.
  • 84-91% of caregivers earning under $50k to over $100k support increasing investments in child care, eldercare, and care for people with disabilities.
• A majority of Republican voters want care policies.
  • Among Republican leaning male caregivers:
    • 69% support increasing the national minimum wage.
    • 77% want paid time off to care for themselves or a loved one.
    • 84% support investments in affordable, quality care - including child care, elder care, and care for people with disabilities.
  • A majority of male Democrats and Independents also want care policies.
    • 95% of Democratic leaning male caregivers and 77% of Independent leaning male caregivers support increasing the national minimum wage.
    • 96% of Democratic leaning male caregivers and 80% of Independent leaning male caregivers support paid time off.
    • 93% of Democratic leaning male caregivers and 90% or Independent leaning male caregivers support investments in affordable, quality care.
  • Fathers and male caregivers rank care policies highly in their political agendas.
    • 28% of fathers ranked childcare access and cost in their top 5 policy priorities.
    • 30% of fathers ranked family and medical leave in their top 5 policy priorities.
  • Fathers and male caregivers value their care responsibilities.
    • 62% of men would consider working less if they had a child or another child.
    • 67% of fathers who have previously taken paternity leave would consider working less if they had another child.
  • Men are taking on a greater share of caregiving, and they support key policies that all families need to support them in their caregiving.
  • Men care about care.
• There are 2.5 million households in the U.S. headed by a single father. (Census.gov
• Over 4 million men are sandwich generation caregivers, meaning they are providing care to a child and an adult simultaneously. (National Alliance for Caregiving)
• Less than half of all fathers in the US have access to any kind of paid parental leave. (State of America's Fathers)
• Nearly three-fourths of fathers support key care policies, including universal childcare, childcare subsidies, and guaranteed paid leave. (State of America's Fathers)
• Men in the US want to care, and they are doing more of the care work than ever before.
• Low-income dads are more likely to support universal public full-time childcare (84 percent below poverty vs. 68 percent median national income and above), as are fathers of color vs. white dads (79 percent vs. 69 percent). (State of America’s Fathers)
• Fathers who took leave in the past (vs. those who did not) are also more willing to take all three advocacy actions – support better childcare subsidies, petition for universal childcare, and vote for a politician who supports paid leave (State of America’s Fathers)