Men in early years and childcare

A recent poll by the Department for Education (DfE) found that 9 in 10 parents in England feel children benefit from being cared for by both men and women – but at the moment, men make up only 3% of the workforce. That’s why the latest wave of DfE’s Do Something Big campaign is encouraging more men to think about a career in early years.

Here, Coram PACEY is shining a spotlight on men who are already making a difference as childminders, childminding assistants and in other childcare roles.

I am a co-childminder, working with my wife, Tracey, who has been a childminder herself for 22 years! I have been a childminder for 13 years. I decided to work in childcare for two main reasons: my middle son was recovering from a serious illness, so I decided to choose work that enabled more flexibility so I could be around more for his ongoing needs, plus my previous job had limited promotion opportunities and with increasing stress. 

What I like best about my job is being a male role model for children and offering a different perspective to support their learning and development and building their confidence and socialising skills. I also enjoy networking with local childminders and sharing ideas and best practice. I have faced some stigma with the role and how it’s typically considered and perceived as a woman’s job, and sometimes the lack of men in childcare can make it difficult to make friends with local male practitioners. 

I highly recommend working in childcare. it’s a very rewarding career which is fun, and with full commitment, planning and lots of hard work, can make a real difference to the learning experiences and opportunities for young children to help them prepare for their school years/the future. 

– Rob, a childminder in Staffordshire