Abstract This article analyzes how fathers make paternity and parental leave decisions, focusing on the role of extended family support. Existing research has emphasized how state-provided leave policies influence fathers’ involvement at home, suggesting that paid paternity leave can promote gender equality. However, researchers have yet to consider the relationship between access to extended family support and the gendered allocation of parental time across policy regimes. This study addresses this gap through interviews with 50 middle-class fathers recruited from three branches of a single financial firm (Toronto, Montreal, Chicago) and 35 of their female partners. Access to support from relatives orients fathers to consider their involvement as “replaceable.” Some fathers recalled taking less time off during periods when other family members were involved in caregiving. Others who initially took time off described returning to work during the periods when visiting family caregivers were present in their homes. Notably, fathers across all three sites cited family support as a reason for reducing their own caregiving involvement, despite Canadian fathers’ access to state-supported paid leave. These findings suggest that extended family caregiving may contribute to the gendered distribution of parents’ time, as men disproportionately use this resource to pursue paid labor.
Sun et al. (Mon,) studied this question.