Who Cares? Trends in the Division of Care Among Separated Parents

Family structures are shifting in Australia and one in three children do not live in families with a coupled mother and father. There is currently limited research on how separated parents share the care of their children and little is known about how these arrangements vary over time or by the characteristics of the parent. Using 23 waves of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, we track changes in childcare arrangements among families where a child’s biological or adoptive parents reside in different households. We pay particular attention to whether the gender division of care has become more equitable and differences by partnership status, income and age of children.

Despite evidence of a move toward greater gender equality in care arrangements, progress has been slow and uneven. We find that roughly one in four Australian mothers have a resident child with a father who lives elsewhere, and that half of these women report that their child has no overnight stays with their father. Trends toward gender equality are concentrated amongst high-income groups and the parents of young children. A notable discontinuity in men’s reported care between 2008 and 2009 coincides with Child Support Scheme reforms, raising questions about whether observed changes reflect genuine behavioural shifts or financial incentives biasing men’s reports of childcare.

Overall, our findings point to the persistence of deeply gendered caregiving responsibilities after separation, posing challenges for family law and social policy aiming to support children’s time with both parents and gender equitable post-separation parenting.