Where Fathers Spend the Most Time on Child Care — 2026 Father’s Day Study

For fathers, work rarely stops at five o’clock. Beyond paid employment, fathers often balance household responsibilities and the daily logistics of family life. Where that balance is most demanding can vary widely based on local economic conditions, commute times and work schedules.

SmartAsset analyzed the 50 states based on the number of minutes per day fathers spend caring for their children. The study also measured the difference in caregiving time between fathers and mothers. The analysis does not evaluate individual parents or family arrangements, but compares broad patterns in reported caregiving time across states.

Key Findings

Fathers in Alaska spend the most time on child care. Fathers in Alaska spend nearly two hours per day (114.8 minutes) on child care activities. Alaska was followed by Nebraska (No. 2) and Massachusetts (No. 3).
In five states, fathers spend more time than mothers on child care activities. In Maine, fathers report spending 37% more time on child care than mothers do, the largest difference measured. Maine was followed by Nebraska at 21% more time, Massachusetts at 14%, Vermont at 7% and Wyoming at 1%.
The states where fathers spend the most time on child care are almost evenly divided geographically. Of the top 15 states, eight are east of the Mississippi River and seven are west.
Fathers in most states spend at least one hour daily on child care. In 27 states, fathers report spending 60 minutes or more each day on child care activities.

Methodology

This study uses data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ American Time Use Survey, extracted from IPUMS, over the most recent available four-year period. For each state, SmartAsset calculated the average daily minutes fathers spent caring for their own children. “Father,” as used, means a self-reported male with at least one of their own children resident in their household. “Mother,” as used, means a self-reported female with at least one of their own children resident in their household. “Own children” refers to biological, adopted and stepchildren. Source data providers are not affiliated with, and do not endorse or sponsor, this study or its findings.

Sarah M. Flood, Liana C. Sayer, Daniel Backman and Annie Chen. American Time Use Survey Data Extract Builder: Version 3.3 [dataset]. College Park, MD: University of Maryland and Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS, 2025. https://doi.org/10.18128/D060.V3.3