Family Life

06.17.11 | Sarah Harnisch

According to a new Pew Research poll, nearly half of American dads under forty-five this Father's Day say they have at least one child out of wedlock. The share of fathers living apart from their children is more than double what it was in the 1960s. There's encouraging news, though, among married fathers. Children are said to be getting more attention at home than ever before. The poll also shows that fathers, on average, now spend about six and a half hours a week on child care, which includes playing, helping kids with their homework, and taking them to activities. That's up from two and a half hours in the 1960s. Pew researcher Beth Latshaw says, "Far too many young people in America grow up without their dads, and our families and communities are challenged as a result."