Stay-at-home dads

Research from Aviva, the insurance group, shows there are now ten times more fathers caring for children while their partner works than 10 years ago. In one in six couples (16%) , the main wage earner is female. Around 612,000 men in Aviva’s 2010 survey say they are the primary carer for home and family, compared to national statistics figures for 2000 showing only 60,000 men in that role in the UK. In 85% of households one or both parents have reduced their hours or given up work to look after their children, while 18% share childcare equally.