Time spent in parenthood status among adults in the United States

Transition rates estimated from the 1987-1988 and 1992-1994 waves of the Na tional Survey of Families and Households imply that a U.S. adult will spend approximately one third of the years from ages 20 to 69 as a parent of a d ependent child. I distinguish biological from social parenthood and provide separate estimates by gender and race. White women conform most to the con ventional image of a biological parent residing with an own child, whereas African American women spend the most adult years as a parent. On average, white men spend fewer years as parents than African American men, but Afric an American men spend more years as biological parents not residing with an y children. Implications of these descriptive findings are discussed.