 In 2008 , an estimated 140 @,@ 000 married fathers worked in the home as their children 's primary caregivers while their wives worked outside of the home to provide for the family . This number is less than the previous two years according to the US Census Bureau . In 2007 , stay @-@ at @-@ home dads made up approximately 2 @.@ 7 % of the nation 's stay @-@ at @-@ home parents . This is triple the percentage from 1997 , and has been consistently higher each year since 2005 . In 2006 , stay @-@ at @-@ home dads were caring for approximately 245 @,@ 000 children ; 63 % of stay @-@ at @-@ home dads had two or more children . These statistics only account for married stay @-@ at @-@ home dads ; there are other children being cared for by single fathers or gay couples . Also , it is difficult to ascertain how many of these stay @-@ at @-@ home dads have accepted the role voluntarily , and how many have been forced into it by the economic crisis of the late 2000s and early 2010s during which a great number of mostly @-@ male blue @-@ collar industries suffered significant losses and many previously employed men entered periods of prolonged unemployment . 
 In 2008 , an estimated 140 @,@ 000 married fathers worked in the home as their children <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>primary caregivers while their wives worked outside of the home to provide for the family . This number <a href='drop_aux' title='2'><mark>is</mark></a>less than the previous two years according to the US Census Bureau . In 2007 , stay @-@ at @-@ home dads made up approximately 2 @.@ 7 % of the nation <a href='null_genetive' title='3'><mark>'s</mark></a>stay @-@ at @-@ home parents . This <a href='drop_aux' title='4'><mark>is</mark></a>triple the percentage from 1997 , and <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>has</mark></a> been consistently higher each year since 2005 . In 2006 , stay @-@ at @-@ home dads <a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>were</mark></a> caring for approximately 245 @,@ 000 children ; 63 % of stay @-@ at @-@ home dads had two or more children . These statistics only account for married stay @-@ at @-@ home dads ; <a href='dey_it' title='7'><mark>there</mark></a> are other children being cared for by single fathers or gay couples . Also , it <a href='drop_aux' title='8'><mark>is</mark></a>difficult to ascertain how many of these stay @-@ at @-@ home dads <a href='been_done' title='9'><mark>have</mark></a> accepted the role voluntarily , and how many <a href='been_done' title='10'><mark>have</mark></a> been forced into it by the economic crisis of the late 2000s and early 2010s during which a great number of mostly @-@ male blue @-@ collar industries suffered significant losses and many previously employed men entered periods of prolonged unemployment . 
In 2008 , an estimated 140 @,@ 000 married fathers worked in the home as their children  primary caregivers while their wives worked outside of the home to provide for the family . This number less den the previous two yrs according to the US Census Bureau . In 2007 , stay @-@ at @-@ home dads made up approximately 2 @.@ 7 % of da nation  stay @-@ at @-@ home parents . This triple the percentage from 1997 , and have been consistently higher each year since 2005 . In 2006 , stay @-@ at @-@ home dads was caring for approximately 245 @,@ 000 children ; 63 % of stay @-@ at @-@ home dads had two or more children . These statistics only account fa married stay @-@ at @-@ home dads ; it is other children being cared for by single fathers or gay couples . Also , it difficult to ascertain how many of these stay @-@ at @-@ home dads done accepted the role voluntarily , and how many done been forced into it by the economic crisis of tdalate 2000s and early 2010s durin which a great number of mostly @-@ male blue @-@ collar industries suffered significant losses and many previously employed men entered periods of prolonged unemployment .