Fathers’ Leave Taking for Paternity and Time Spent in Child Care

Yoonjoo Lee, University of Maryland
Sandra Hofferth, University of Maryland

Paternity leave is expected to give fathers an opportunity to participate in child care and build the father-child bond at an early stage. This study examines the association between married or cohabiting fathers’ paternity leave taking and the amount of time spent in child care within 19 months using the Current Population Survey data linked to the American Time Use Survey data from 2003 to 2012. On average, 4.61% of fathers in the sample (N=272) took leave during the birth month or up to three months thereafter. Fathers who took paternity leave were less likely to report time spent in play and leisure activities than those who did not take paternity leave. For those who participated in child care, however, paternity leave taking was positively associated with time spent in play and leisure activities. Implications and limitations of this study are discussed.