U.S. Census Bureau — Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support

What the study found

The U.S. Census Bureau's report on custodial parents and child support, drawing on 2009 data released in December 2011, measured how custodial arrangements were divided between mothers and fathers. It reported that the large majority of custodial parents — 82.2 percent — were mothers, meaning custodial arrangements skewed heavily toward mothers rather than being evenly split between the two parents. ^[1]

Most custodial parents (82.2 percent) were mothers

^[1]

Why it matters here

This government dataset is often cited in debates over whether family courts favour mothers, because it documents that custodial parenting was concentrated among mothers rather than shared evenly. On its own, the figure describes the observed distribution of custodial arrangements; it does not establish why that distribution arises, whether through court decisions, parental agreements, or other factors. It is used on are family courts biased against fathers? as baseline evidence on how custody outcomes are actually distributed, to be weighed alongside studies that examine the causes behind those outcomes.