BIS commissioned independent research to look at attitudes towards shared parenting, and how parents manage their childcare and work arrangements. This is to help understand and address the issues preventing people from taking statutory shared parental leave (SSPL), which will apply to couples with babies due or children matched or placed for adoption on or after 5 April 2015.

Key findings are as follows:

– Just under a quarter believe that childcare should be the mother’s main responsibility, but 53% said that childcare should be the equal responsibility of both parents.

– 80% of those considering having children in the future said they would consider taking SSPL when they became parents.

– 6 in 10 men said one of the benefits of SSPL would be forming a closer bond with their child, with 44% saying it would feel fairer, and 39% saying they could let their partner get back to their job or progress their career.

– 57% of men thought that being more involved in the baby’s life would be a good thing for their whole family, and around a third felt it would strengthen their relationship with their partner.

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