In the United States, the number of single fathers doubled between 1983 and 1993.
A single father has the complete responsibility for his child or children. He may be the only parent because the mother has died. Or, more often, he may be given the full responsibility for his child or children by the judge in court. This may happen when there is a divorce or when unmarried parents disagree. In the past, judges almost always decided that children should stay with their mother. Now, however, it is more common for judges to decide in favor of the father. That is, a judge may decide that the mother is not able to take proper care of the children. This is the main reason why there has been such a large increase in the number of single fathers.