Gender GapResearch/Study

Mothers Miss Work More Than Fathers to Care for Sick Children, According to University of New Hampshire Study

A study led by Kristin Smith, a family demographer at the Carsey Institute and research assistant professor of sociology at the University of New Hampshire, finds that working mothers were far more likely to miss work to care for a sick child than working fathers. The disparity is true despite the fact that women and men were found to have nearly equal access to at least five paid sick days to care for children who are sick. They study found that 51 percent of working fathers and 46 percent of working mothers were eligible to receive at least five paid sick days to care for children who were ill.

The survey found that 74 percent of working mothers had stayed home from work to care for a sick child compared to 40 percent of working fathers.

Dr. Smith has been at the University of New Hampshire since 2004. Previously, she worked for the U.S. Census Bureau. A graduate of the University of Vermont, she holds a master of public health degree from Tulane University and a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Maryland. Co-author of the study is Andrew Schaefer, a research assistant at the UNH Carsey Institute.

The study may be downloaded here.

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