Rather than thinking caregiving is something only women should do, Americans’ attitudes toward men giving care and taking caregiving leaves are evolving, most notably among men themselves.

Based on a nationally representative survey conducted in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago, and five online focus groups, this report points to key barriers men face that may prevent them from taking time off from work to engage in caregiving. These include financial concerns, inadequate workplace and manager support, and family and cultural barriers.

These barriers are particularly challenging for low and median-wage earners who have the least access to paid leave. None of these barriers are adequately addressed in the current ad hoc system in America that relies on private companies to decide to voluntarily offer paid caregiving leave. And the same could be said for public policy, where a piecemeal system benefits only those lucky enough to live in the handful of states that offer the paid leave benefit to residents and adequately enable them to use it. Here are some key statistics from the report:

• Nearly half of mothers and fathers didn’t even take two days off work, paid or unpaid, after the birth or adoption of a child.

• Six in 10 adults say they anticipate needing to take time off in the future to care for a new child or adult family member.

• Men and women equally anticipate needing to take leave, but men lag behind women in actually taking it.

Click here to read the full story from Women In Optometry.

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