Nursery group chief exec warns child abuse cases are deterring men from childcare

Speaking at the launch of the London Network for Men in Childcare today, Ms O’Sullivan said that high profile child abuse cases, such as the Jimmy Saville investigation, are putting men off entering the profession for fear of being labelled as abusers or paedophiles.

The aim of the London Network for Men in Childcare is to support men who work with children up to the age of five in childcare settings across the capital and encourage more men to work with young children.

To coincide with its launch, London Early Years Foundation (LEYF) carried out research within its nurseries as part of its continuing work into the distinct role men play in childcare provision.

At the time of the research, out of the 23 nurseries (now 24 nurseries) eight employed nine male members of staff. They comprised two managers, a deputy manager, five nursery officers and an apprentice.

Questionnaires were sent to nursery staff asking what they felt prevented men from working in the sector and the benefits of men working in childcare.

Of the 56 members of staff who responded to the questionnaire, more than half (60 per cent) felt that there is a shortage of men in childcare because they are not encouraged by others to work in the sector.

Fifty-one per cent said that society’s attitudes prevent men from taking jobs in childcare, while 37 per cent said they would not feel comfortable working in a predominantly female environment. A lack of advertising aimed at men and a lack of awareness about what is involved in working in the early years sector were also cited as reasons.

When asked about the benefits to children of having men working in childcare, 79 per cent said they provided a good role model for boys and 59 per cent a good role model for girls.

As part of the research, staff at LEYF’s nurseries also questioned children about what activity they liked doing and with which member of staff.

Researchers looked at whether boys and girls tended to want to play with practitioners of the same gender. The data showed that 13 per cent of boys and 4.3 per cent of girls chose to play with men, but 17.3 per cent of girls and 8.6 per cent of boys chose to play with women.

While children saw some activities, such as superhero play, as something that they preferred to play with a man, other activities such as cooking were split equally across the gender divide.

June O’Sullivan, chief executive of LEYF, said, ‘Research shows that there are huge benefits from having men in nurseries such as providing male role models, eradicating gender stereotypes and helping fathers engage with their children.

‘But it is sadly the case that men are being put off joining the profession for fear that they will be viewed as paedophiles or abusers. High profile child abuses such as the Jimmy Savile scandal will fuel ignorant prejudices and risk deterring men from pursuing hugely rewarding careers in childcare.

‘The launch of the London Network for Men in Childcare is an important step towards a gender balanced workforce which is in the best interests of children.’