The number of fathers who took time off to care for their children jumped 65.9 percent in the first half of 2018.

The number of fathers who took time off to care for their children jumped 65.9 percent in the first half of 2018. Fathers taking paternity leave reached nearly 8,500 in the January to June period, up from the 5,101 tallied over the same period last year. The rise is largely attributable to government policies aimed at encouraging fathers to participate in child-rearing. The government said that men accounted for nearly 17% of the 50,000 people who took family leave so far this year, which is up 11.4% from a year earlier.