User:Bubblyian/Secondary carer

Secondary parent or secondary carer is a term describing the parent who has less than 50% parenting time with their children after separation. The other parent is then known as the primary parent or primary carer - arguably less perjorative than terms like absent parent (when in fact the parent is not absent as they have contact with their children) or Non-resident parent, when in fact the children are 'resident' with the parent during visits.

The Secondary carer or parent is overwhelmingly the father in the UK, with around 90% of secondary carers being fathers.

In the UK, the status of primary carer is crucial as there is an effective Winner takes all (Benefits) system, whereby 100% of the rewards for being a parent go the primary carer, normally the mother and none to the secondary carer, normally the father.

Organisations such as Families Need Fathers are campaigning to try and remove this alleged indirect discrimination and prejudice in calling for a presumption of shared parenting and equal separation of parenting time after separation, as happens with financial matters following a divorce.