men in childcare

1 Men in childcare How can we achieve a more gender-balanced early years and childcare workforce? Introduction Awareness is growing that, despite decades of staff and volunteers in early years and child- progress towards greater gender balance in care services. Our role was to help early ed- many professions and industries, the early ucation and childcare services develop and years and childcare workforce lags behind implement a strategy to recruit and retain remaining stubbornly dominated by female more male staff and volunteers. staff. Fewer than 2% of staff working in early We worked with key managers and staff years and childcare in England are men, in four local authorities to develop a strategy according to latest figures.

2 For recruiting more male staff and volun- There are many reasons why a more teers, drawing on emerging good practice gender-balanced early years and childcare and local surveys of practice. workforce should be our goal, not least the Later we shared ideas for local strate- benefit to children of growing up surrounded gies (summarised in this guide) with four by caring men as well as women. other local authorities, and worked in differ- But while few in positions of power and ent ways with them to support implementa- influence would argue against aiming for tion. The eight authorities were Brighton, greater male participation in this vital industry, Bradford, Lambeth, Leicester, Milton we are no closer to achieving it than we were Keynes, Southampton, Southwark and York.

3 A generation ago. This guide does not seek to offer defini- Why is this? Supply or demand? Are tive or even very new answers, but rather to men voting with their feet resisting attempts highlight a range of practical approaches that to entice them towards working with young could make a difference. We hope you find it children? If so, what are their reasons for do- useful. If you have any ideas about how to ing so are they economic, cultural, social or attract and retain more male staff, we look a combination of these? Are forward to hearing from you. You can get in those who recruit staff to work with young touch with us by email or via the FI's social children still skeptical about whether this is media pages, which are included on the really a job for the boys?

4 If so, why? And Useful resources' page (see page 10). crucially, how can we speed up progress? This report arose as part of a Department Fatherhood Institute 2015. for Education-funded project led by the Fatherhood Institute in 2013-15, aimed at Written by David Bartlett, and edited/. supporting local recruitment of more male designed by Jeremy Davies. 2. The scale of the problem Right now, only 1-2% of early education carers but the workplaces in which they and childcare workers in England are male. could pursue these skills on a professional basis have a long way to go, to catch up. Latest figures show that in 2008 the percentages of childcare workers in England Worryingly, government targets and ini- who are male were: tiatives have come and gone without making significant inroads into the gender imbalance Full daycare - 2%.

5 In the childcare workforce. Sessional daycare - 1%. In 1998, the National childcare Strate- Childminders - 2% gy set a target of 6% male practitioners by 2004, later dropped. The Coalition's Pro- Nursery schools - 2%. gramme for Government (2010) stated that: Primary schools - 1% we want .a greater gender balance in the early years workforce. But while the politi- After school clubs - 7%. cal will may be there in the background, up Holiday clubs - 14%. to now this has not been translated into real, tangible improvements. These very low levels have remained stubbornly unchanging. The good news is that international comparisons suggest change is possible. Differences in work roles, status, sector An international perspective development, and work/social culture, make This is not just a UK phenomenon.

6 Comparisons between countries complex. Very few countries have more than 2% of But it's worth noting that Denmark had 8%. men in the early years and childcare work- male childcare workers in 2005, for exam- force, and indeed some have less. if this may partly reflect better pay and a wider age range of children than in the But the figures are in stark contrast to UK statistics (nearly half those worked in the strong trend for fathers and father figures clubs with children over 5). to be more involved in looking after their own children; as long ago as 2003, the And Norway had a figure of 3% in Equal Opportunities Commission reported 1991, rising to 10% in 2008 a shift which that fathers were doing about 30% of paren- is likely to be a reflection in part of a legal tal childcare .

7 So men are becoming much responsibility for employers to work towards more confident and comfortable as hands-on 20% male workers. 3. What are the barriers to recruitment? There are numerous factors involved in Male stereotyping can also be an issue;. men's low participation in the early years many male workers report feeling pigeon- and childcare workforce. These include: holed by their gender for example being expected to take responsibility for all en- Men's concerns (some well-founded). gagement with fathers and other men who about the attitudes of parents, colleagues come into contact with the service; feeling and peers towards men working in ear- pushed into doing stereotypical male activi- ly years, and about working in a pre- ties (like football, for example); and being dominantly female environment set up as role models for boys (the impli- Lack of relevant, timely and tailored cation being that their value rests purely in information and advice for men about their gender, rather than their qualities, skills the benefits and challenges of childcare and knowledge).

8 Careers But it is also important to remember Too few vocational training courses that public attitudes are generally more sup- specifically marketed to men and de- portive than in the past. signed to support them For example, 98% of female nursery A failure among employers to proac- workers say they want male colleagues; 77%. tively recruit men, and ensure that of the public (and 55% of parents) are in fa- workplaces are welcoming of male vour of male early years workers; and 84%. staff of parents say they would place their chil- dren in a childcare setting employing male Low pay is a source of dissatisfaction workers. for a MINORITY of male workers. So there are a range of real and wide- It is true that male early years workers spread concerns, which need to addressed if can often be worried about what others we are to dismantle the barriers to male re- might think.

9 Cruitment. But there is also good reason to Men considering careers in childcare believe that if you are committed to improv- can experience negative attitudes from ing the gender-balance of the workforce, and friends and family and once working in if you develop and pursue the right strate- the field can face negativity and prejudice gies, you will achieve your goal. from parents and colleagues; in the worst Over the next four pages we offer sug- cases this can extend into undermining and gestions about how to get there. bullying behaviour. 4. Dismantling the barriers To make significant improvements in the gender-balance of your workforce, it can be useful to focus on four key approaches: 1. be strategic No single organisation or individual is going to solve the lack of men in the childcare workforce overnight what's needed is con- certed and ongoing effort from a range of interested parties.

10 With this in mind, it can be useful to local parents (dads as well as mums). set up a steering group in your area which is Give your group a clear mission and committed to making things happen- a do- mandate: agree what you hope to achieve, ing shop, not a talking shop. how, and by when. Review your goals and The kinds of agencies and individuals achievements regularly. who might be represented on such a group Running a local conference can help include: you explore and explain why a more gender- statutory, voluntary and private child- balanced workforce is important, and give care providers people the chance to say what they think the local challenges are and how they can be local authority commissioners of child- overcome.