The role of men in childcare has evolved significantly over the past few decades, reflecting broader shifts in societal norms and gender roles. Traditionally, childcare has been viewed primarily as a woman's responsibility, with men often relegated to the role of breadwinner or secondary caregiver. However, as more women have entered the workforce and as societal expectations around fatherhood and masculinity have changed, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of male involvement in childcare. This shift is not only beneficial for children, who gain from having diverse role models and a more balanced perspective on gender roles, but also for men themselves, who find fulfillment in nurturing roles and experience a deeper connection with their children.

Research has shown that children benefit significantly from having engaged fathers or male caregivers. Studies indicate that men who are actively involved in childcare contribute positively to their children's cognitive development, social skills, and emotional well-being. These children often display higher levels of confidence, perform better academically, and develop healthier relationships with peers. The presence of male caregivers also challenges traditional gender stereotypes, helping children understand that nurturing and caregiving are not exclusively female traits but are human qualities that transcend gender. This early exposure to diverse role models can lead to more egalitarian attitudes and relationships in adulthood.

Moreover, men's participation in childcare also positively impacts gender equality in the workplace and at home. When men share childcare responsibilities, it helps to balance the domestic workload, enabling women to pursue careers and educational opportunities more freely. This shift can reduce the gender pay gap and increase women's representation in leadership roles, contributing to a more equitable society. At home, shared childcare fosters a sense of partnership and mutual respect between parents, reducing stress and improving the overall family dynamic. It also allows men to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the challenges of caregiving, leading to more empathy and support for their partners.

However, despite these benefits, there are still barriers to men's involvement in childcare. Societal expectations and stereotypes about masculinity often discourage men from taking on caregiving roles. In some cultures, men who are deeply involved in childcare may face stigma or be perceived as less masculine. Additionally, workplace policies and cultural norms sometimes make it difficult for men to balance work and family life. Paternity leave, for example, is still less common and less supported than maternity leave in many parts of the world, which can deter men from taking time off to care for their children.

To encourage more men to participate in childcare, there needs to be a concerted effort to challenge these stereotypes and create more supportive environments for male caregivers. This includes advocating for policies that support work-life balance for all parents, such as equitable parental leave and flexible working arrangements. It also involves promoting positive representations of fatherhood and male caregivers in the media and public discourse, showing that men can be both strong and nurturing. As society continues to evolve, the increased involvement of men in childcare will play a crucial role in shaping a more inclusive and balanced world, where caregiving is seen as a shared responsibility and a source of joy and fulfillment for all.

Many childcare staff have unfortunately had to take the option of furlough, which can be very frustrating. We have put together a list of free courses to keep your brain active and enhance your knowledge of the sector and young children’s development;

NDNA online safety in early years: http://tiny.cc/clh9mz

NDNA supporting staff wellbeing: http://tiny.cc/hlh9mz

PACEY have a number of free courses for members: http://tiny.cc/7lh9mz

Open university courses

Play learning and the brain: http://tiny.cc/smh9mz

Understanding Children; babies being heard: http://tiny.cc/mth9mz

Understanding early years and children’s spaces: http://tiny.cc/ryh9mz

Listening to children; supporting transition: http://tiny.cc/12h9mz

Early Years team work and leadership: http://tiny.cc/g4h9mz

We also have a number of courses available, many that are CACHE endorsed at a small cost: https://www.bamboochildcare.co.uk/online-training

It may seem like a cliché however, working in the childcare sector has and always will be a career choice for people whom ‘love working with children’ and can be one of the most fulfilling professions. It is not simply about playing with children (although this is a big aspect), but creating a stimulating, educational, fun and safe environment for children to develop in all areas. Within this vocation there are a wealth of opportunities available.

Early Years can genuinely be a career of choice for everyone and the misconceptions of it being a job that cannot offer good salaries, benefits or promotions are quickly disappearing.

Why Choose childcare:

• Variety of qualifications and career paths:

*Qualifications must be full and relevant to the early years or teaching sector, further information given below.

(Many roles also now come with additional benefits such as free childcare, increased pensions, share schemes).

• Increased professional status

With the changes in terms of legislation, qualification options and media attention around the sector there is a much higher regard for those working with young children.

• Challenging and fun environment

Often every day is different, there are opportunities for creating new activities, enjoying day trips, outdoor play. Also experiencing the wonder of children’s development such as initial steps, new words, excitement of first experiences.

• Growth of Childcare requirements

The demand for childcare has increased significantly over the last 30 years bringing with it a huge increase in prospects. The nursery sector is worth over £14.9b and jobs in the education sector account for 9% of the total workforce

• More opportunities for men

There is a huge push on encouraging more men into the sector as they are significantly underrepresented, an inequality that needs to change for the benefit of children. See two campaigns that are supporting this initiative https://twitter.com/MeninEarlyYears http://www.meninchildcare.co.uk

This is not the career path for everyone and there are things to consider:

• Qualifications:

It is important to make the right qualification choice, as there have been changes made by the Department of Education regarding which courses are ‘full and relevant’ to work as a practitioner in a Nursery. Do not spend years studying the wrong qualifications examples of these are health and social care courses and some childcare degrees. This can be a real minefield do before commencing any course please check the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eyfs-staffchild-ratios-dfe-approved-qualifications

GCSEs Grade C in Maths and English are not required to gain a level 3 in childcare. This change was made in 2017, however there is still confusion about this: https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1160488/gcse-level-3-rules-scrapped-as-early-years-workforce-strategy-is-released

• Criminal convictions:

There are some criminal convictions that will prevent you from working with children please ensure you research this.

• Hours of working:

Nurseries and child-minding establishments can be open between the hours of 7.00am and 7.00pm. there is often a requirement to be able to work on a rota between these hours. There are more opportunities opening for part-time working, but these are limited due to the requirements of these businesses to operate

• Paperwork

The Early Years Foundation stage is very much about supporting children through play, but there is lots of regulation that must be followed in relation to children’s learning including those monitored by Ofsted. Sometimes practitioners feel the framework and paperwork can take time away from working directly with children. However, it is necessary to ensure that all children’s progression can be tracked and therefore learning needs are met.

Overall Early Years careers are for energetic, enigmatic and passionate individuals who want to go to work to have fun; be sociable; experience challenges and be rewarded daily. So, whether you are at the start of your working life or looking for a career change this may just be the opportunity not to be missed!

Why use a Specialist Recruitment Agency:

Recruitment agencies seem often to be viewed as a ‘necessary evil’ and are used as a real last resort, rather than out of choice.

Only when recruitment agencies are seen as a benefit to the organisation can the relationship be fully positive and beneficial for both parties. As businesses are often lacking the time, resources and expertise to recruit effectively, turning to a recruitment agency is an attractive proposition for a number of reasons:

• Market knowledge.

A good recruitment agency will have significant expertise and jobs market insight, nationally, and locally. Specialist agencies will make it their business to immerse themselves within the sector making them a ‘go to’ for both candidates and clients. Recruitment consultants understand employer needs, candidate expectations, and the impacts of supply and demand on the jobs market as a whole. This means they are ideally situated to help employers make educated decisions, which have a positive impact on the bottom line.

• Salary benchmarking and negotiation

Discussing salaries at the end of a long recruitment process can cause a barrier between the employer and the candidate. Recruitment agencies can discuss salary benchmarks prior to the role being advertised. Thus, ensuring you know a) you are going to attract the right candidates at the right salary and b) There are no disappointments at either side at the point of hire

• Cost saving compared temporary staff

Within the Early Years and Social care sector the actual monetary cost of temporary staff can be crippling. Having a temporary member of staff for 8 weeks can cost more than a permanent placement fee. However, there are wider implications for the organisation of constant temporary staff particularly in the Early Years and residential sector; temporary staff do not understand the routines and needs of all of the children, lack of stability for the children, inability to increase occupancy of the home/nursery, ratios of qualified staff to children, relationships of the staff with parents and outside professionals. All these factors can limit the growth and more importantly reputation and Ofsted outcome of the organisation.

• A wider candidate reach/advertising resources.

Employers may only have the opportunity to advertise with a small selection of jobs boards and the adverts may not attract the right talent.

Recruitment agencies often have huge spends with many jobs’ boards giving them the advantage of sponsored and premium postings, which are often out of reach for direct employers.

Another plus of recruitment agency’s is that all they do is recruitment, spending spend all day every day sourcing candidates; they actively seek out professionals who fit the job description, either via social media or professional headhunting. In addition, most have a large database of candidates whom they have previously engaged with. Often that perfect candidate is not the one actively looking for work, but those that are extremely successful in their current role. A good recruitment consultant will know where to find and how to engage with those excellent candidates.

• Recruitment experience.

A recruitment agency must always conduct initial interviews on behalf of the employer, which will save the employer time and money as anyone unsuitable will be eliminated at this stage.

A recruitment consultant speaks to hundreds of candidates a year therefore should be able to spot an unsuitable candidate at the very early stages, preventing any wasted time for the employer.

Initial background checks can also be done prior to any interview with the employer, for example within the early years and residential sector Ofsted reports and reviews can be verified. Again, this can save valuable time and resources for the employer.

As with all business decisions, cost has to be taken into account, can recruitment agencies prove their return on investment?

When all the above factors are taken into consideration the recruitment process will be much quicker, smoother and more successful using an agency. This means the employer can spend time working effectively within their business, whilst also preparing for the ideal new recruit to join their team. Therefore, the Return on Investment for that perfect new employee will no doubt be extremely positive.

For more information on how we can support your nursery or care organisation with your recruitment needs please get in touch; enquiries@bamboochildcare.co.uk, 08448225727

For other specialist agencies in different fields see our affiliate organisation agency central.