US custody data shows mothers retain majority of custodial roles

Data indicates that the fear many mothers experience regarding the loss of child custody during divorce or separation is often statistically unsupported. According to a Congressional Research Service report on the Child Support Enforcement program, women accounted for 83% of custodial parents eligible for child support in 2022. This figure has remained consistent for over a decade, with similar rates recorded in 2013 and 2009.

While many parents worry about losing custody, most arrangements in the United States result in mothers retaining primary physical custody. Research, such as the Stanford Child Custody Study, suggests that the gap between parental fear and actual legal outcomes is significant, partly because judges decide far fewer cases than the public assumes.