A recent WalletHub study has ranked Connecticut the third best state for working fathers, largely due to its schools, access to child care and economic security. Connecticut ranked behind only Massachusetts and Washington, D.C.

“Working dads have to worry about much more than just how much income they’re bringing home to support their kids,” said Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst. “They also have to make sure that their children’s childcare and education are adequate, their health is properly looked after, and they get enough quality time with their father. The best states for working dads provide the conditions for all these needs to be met, while also helping dads maintain their own physical and mental health.”

The study ranked states based on four different categories: economic and social well-being, work-life balance, child care and health. The study pulled statistics from sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, CDC, and Council for Community and Economic Research. 

Altogether, Connecticut was found to be the second best state in terms of child care, the fourth best in terms of health, the seventh best in terms of economic and social well-being, and the eighth best in terms of work-life balance. Connecticut was joined in the top ten by four other Northeastern states: Massachusetts, ranking first, Rhode Island, ranking fourth, New Jersey, ranking fifth, and New Hampshire, ranking ninth.

Connecticut was lauded as having one of the best public school systems in the country and for having the highest percentage of nationally accredited child care services of any state. Child care ranks were primarily determined by daycare and school system quality, with affordability being weighted lower. One expert quoted in the study, Sharon Belden Castonguay, Executive Director of the Gordon Career Center at Wesleyan University, cited access to “affordable, high-quality childcare” as “the biggest issue facing working families.”

“This one factor affects several decisions, such as how much leave parents will take, who will take it, the length of a reasonable commute, and whether they are going to stay with or leave their employers,” noted Belden Castonugay. “While historically seen as problems for mothers alone, modern families see this as a puzzle to solve as a family unit.”

While Connecticut may have higher access to child care than other states, affordability has been a concern for workers and business owners alike. The CBIA noted in a report last year that 60% of surveyed business owners believed affordable child care to be essential to recruiting and maintaining talent. Child care affordability and early childhood education represented two major focuses of the state legislature this year, with perhaps the biggest initiative being the creation of the state’s Universal Pre-School Endowment.

Additionally, the study found that 76% of working men in Connecticut are financially stable, the third highest percentage of any state. It defined financial stability as “being able to meet all their basic monthly expenses while also growing their assets modestly.” The study also found 86% of men to be “in good or better health,” and to have one of the lowest male suicide rates in the country.

Work-life balance, Connecticut’s lowest-ranked category, was weighted based on factors such as parental-leave policy, average time spent on childcare by men, average length of work day for men, and average commute time for men. Despite it being Connecticut’s weakest category, the state still fares better than most others, likely due to policies such as the state’s FMLA program, which was passed into law in 2022, and legislation passed last year to expand employees’ access to paid sick leave.

Republish This Story

Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.