Recent societal changes suggest that images of motherhood and fatherhood are changing and that a model of contemporary parenting is emerging which reflects men's significant involvement in parenting and women's significant involvement in providing for the family economically. This study collected data pertinent to this emerging model by investigating perceptions of preferred parenting responsibilities and community-based supports for parenting in dual-earner families with children and a comparison group of traditional single-earner families. Ratings of preferred parenting responsibility and community supports in nine parenting areas, from an ethnically diverse sample of dual-earner and traditional families (N=244), provided equivocal results for the model. Although there was a high preference for men's involvement and community support, women and men preferred that women take more responsibility than men. When asked with whom they would prefer to share parenting responsibilities, by far the first choice was the public schools. The results have two particular implications for family life educators and policy makers. First, family life educators who are concerned with the development of parenting skills, both in adolescents and adults, cannot take for granted that parenting means mothering. Second, the moderate income parents in the sample appeared to expect a good deal from public schools, yet many schools lack the programs and financial resources to assist parents in all these areas. (Author/LLL)