Loose Ties? Determinants of Father-Child Contact after Separation in Germany

Growing separation and divorce rates have shaped the image of the family in the new century. As a consequence of this development, parents are increasingly at risk of becoming single parents or of living separated from their children at some point in their life courses. Despite the fact that the share of lone fatherhood has increased in some countries, the overwhelming majority of children co-reside with their mothers after separation. Thus, non-resident fathers have become a growing group in all European countries. This raises the question of how the relationship between the child and the non-resident father develops after separation. The contact that these fathers keep with their children is a policy relevant issue which has been intensively addressed in prior studies for English-speaking countries mainly. We add to this research by investigating the determinants of father-child contact in Germany, a continental European country with a slowly changing legal framework towards more paternal rights. Newly available data from the German family panel are used for our analyses. Preliminary results indicate that non-residential fatherhood is more prevalent in the eastern than in the western states of Germany. In both parts of the country, non-resident fathers are less educated and more often unemployed than resident fathers. Fathers who were married at childbirth more regularly see their children than cohabiting fathers or fathers in less institutionalized relationships, like living apart together relationships (LAT). However, after accounting for joint custody, we do no longer find differences in father-child contact by union status at birth. The union and fertility history of the father, in particular whether he has children with a new partner, is another important factor which impacts the frequency of contact between non-resident fathers and their minor children.