Fathers today are doing more than ever. Not only are they taking on more housework—doing laundry, cooking, and cleaning—but they are more involved with child care as well. They help with homework and serve as chauffeurs, coaches and role models. Fathers with young kids spend, on average, nearly two hours a day caring for their kids.  The division of domestic labor does still tilt inequitably towards women—mothers spend nearly an hour more on average on child care—yet there is no question the gender gap in parenting responsibilities has shrunk. But perhaps one of the most critical changes is that dads have become more emotionally involved and connected to their kids.

A new report from AEI’s Survey Center on American Life reveals a profound generational shift in the extent to which Americans are turning to both parents for help when facing personal problems. The pattern is clear when we compare two-parent households: 57% of young adults raised in two-parent households report that they could rely on both their mother and father for help with a personal problem, while only 40% percent of Americans aged 50 or older report the same.

That more kids are being raised by emotionally-engaged dads is an unqualified good, but this trend is being offset by the fact that fewer Americans are being raised in two-parent households. Today, nearly half of children are raised in single-parent households. Thus, our research shows that, overall, young adults are not much more likely than older Americans to say they can rely on their father for support for the simple fact that many do not have one in their lives at all.

A growing body of research has found that Americans raised by married parents are better off than those raised in other family arrangements. The economic benefits of being raised in two-parent households were extensively documented by Melissa Kearney in her book The Two-Parent Privilege. But we find benefits that extend beyond increased financial stability, improved educational outcomes, and better job prospects. Our survey shows that Americans raised in two-parent households with emotionally engaged parents tend to develop more robust social connections later in life:

Greater parental support is associated with better social outcomes later in life. Americans who report being able to turn to either parent for support—their mother or father—are more likely to have more robust social connections as adults. In two-parent households, Americans who had the support of both parents are more likely to have established close friendships in adulthood than those who could turn to only a single parent, or who had no parent they could rely on.

As fathers do more intensive and emotionally-engaged parenting, the benefits of having a father around increase, too. Put another way: Americans raised in fatherless households pay an increasingly steep price because they lose out on the growing number of ways fathers contribute to the development and well-being of their children. Having two involved parents doubles the number of adults who can provide critical guidance and emotional support. With the frenetic pace of modern family life, it greatly increases the odds that at least one parent is available to help their children navigate challenges as they arise. That means as more men become fully involved coparents to their children, the “two-parent privilege” increases as well. 

Despite being more involved overall, fathers appear more willing to support their sons than their daughters. Nearly two-thirds (66%) of young men raised in two-parent households say they could come to their father for help with a personal problem. But only 54% of young women raised in two-parent households say the same. Whether this is due to cultural factors, the unique relationship dynamics between fathers and daughters, or some other reason is unclear. Additional research would probably be helpful to understand the distinctive and evolving way fathers engage with their children. Past work has shown that fathers are more likely than mothers to encourage risk-taking behaviors and participate more in play-based activities. 

The good news is that by almost every metric, fathers are doing more than they once did, and there’s a growing expectation that they should be active caregivers. What’s more, there is some evidence that the number of Americans being raised without a father in the home has peaked. Two-parent households offer an extensive number of advantages for children, and a critical one is having a dad who is ready, willing, and able to offer support, guidance, and love.