America's Forgotten Fathers: The Untold Struggles of Custodial Dads in 2025

While national conversations around child support often focus on mothers and absent fathers, a growing group remains underrepresented and underserved, custodial fathers. These men, raising children on their own or with limited outside support, make up a quiet 3 million-strong demographic in the United States. According to a 2025 study conducted by Dellino Family Law, a significant number of these fathers face enormous challenges navigating child support agreements and accessing public assistance.

The report presents detailed findings that uncover inequalities based on race, education, employment, and marital status. It also reveals that most custodial fathers lack formal child support agreements, limiting their access to financial resources and community support. The data sheds light on policy gaps and system failures that have left millions of families without the tools they need to succeed.

Only One in Three Custodial Fathers Have Support Agreements

According to Dellino’s study, just 33.4% of custodial fathers roughly 1,008,000 men have a formal child support agreement in place. The remaining two-thirds operate without any structured financial support, despite having legal custody. For many, this absence translates into financial instability, inconsistent household budgets, and increased reliance on public services, if they can access them at all.

The study highlights that age plays a major role in likelihood of securing formal support. Custodial fathers aged 40 and above make up 61.4% of those with agreements, while those under 30 account for just 5.7%. This discrepancy suggests that younger fathers may lack the legal guidance or resources to advocate for themselves in family court.

Disparities Across Race, Education, and Marital Status

Race and ethnicity reveal sharp divisions. White, non-Hispanic custodial fathers represent 57.2% of those with agreements in place, while only 14.4% are Black. Yet Black custodial fathers make up 21.8% of those without agreements, highlighting a troubling racial gap in access and outcomes. Hispanic fathers also face challenges, accounting for 20.1% of those with agreements but 24.1% of those without.

Educational background presents its own divide. Fathers who attended some college but did not earn a bachelor’s degree—are more likely (33.4%) to secure formal agreements than high school graduates (30.6%) or even those with bachelor’s degrees and beyond (27.5%). This data suggests that college-educated fathers may encounter barriers unrelated to education alone, such as legal accessibility or family dynamics.

Marital status also affects outcomes. Divorced custodial fathers are far more likely to have support agreements in place (37.5%) than separated fathers (5.3%). This sharp contrast indicates that formal divorce proceedings may offer more structured opportunities to negotiate child support than informal separations do.

Workforce Participation vs. Access to Assistance

Dellino’s report finds that 73.3% of custodial fathers with support agreements work full-time a slightly higher rate than those without agreements (72.8%). This reinforces the notion that many custodial fathers are employed and actively supporting their children but still receive little outside help.

While 58.1% of fathers with support agreements utilize public aid, primarily through free or reduced-price school lunches, other types of assistance remain underused. Just 5.5% participate in WIC programs, 5.4% receive housing assistance, and only 5% benefit from energy savings programs. These figures suggest that even with formal agreements, custodial fathers may be unaware of, or unable to access, broader support systems.

Non-working custodial fathers make up just 10.2% of those with agreements, and those who left school before completing high school account for 8.5%. These numbers indicate that employment and education correlate with improved chances of securing support but still leave sizable gaps in coverage and outcomes.

A Call for Change and Awareness

Dellino Family Law emphasizes the urgency of policy reform and education around child support structures for men with custodial rights. Their study shows that current systems fall short in helping fathers navigate legal channels, especially those from minority groups and lower-income backgrounds.

With two-thirds of custodial fathers lacking child support agreements, the risks extend beyond financial concerns. Limited access to support affects children’s housing stability, nutrition, education, and emotional well-being. The data also underscores the need for better outreach to minority communities, where systemic barriers continue to restrict access to critical resources.

The message from Dellino’s research is clear: custodial fathers deserve the same tools, access, and respect that all caregivers require. Legal systems must evolve to recognize and support the growing number of fathers stepping up to raise their children with strength, consistency, and love.