Mothers Lead List in Caregiver Time, Study Says

By Deborah L. Cohen

American 4-year-olds spend more time with their mothers than with any other caregivers, and they also spend more time with their mothers than do 4-year-olds in many other countries, a new study shows.

Fathers in the United States and other countries studied spend very little time with their children, the study shows. It also found that parents who use child-care providers generally are satisfied with them.

The study, to be released this week, is based on an 11-country survey sponsored by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement. The I.E.A., a nonprofit group involving more than 60 countries, has been doing cross-national education...