Welcome to this page which features Men in Childcare. We hope to include articles, resources and other items of interest that will inform the debate about men working in the sector. If you have a useful resource or article that would support others and you would like to contribute to this page, please email info@ncn.ie
The seed for the Men in Childcare Network was initially sown by the Kilkenny County Childcare Committee (KCCC) in 2004. A discussion on the issue of diversity in childcare had highlighted the gender imbalance in the childcare workforce in Ireland, a large percentage of children have little contact with men and some children do not have positive male role models present in their lives.
There is the lowest representation of male workers in Europe (less than 1 per cent of the childcare workforce). While children are growing up in a society that is focusing more than ever on equality issues, many of those in full daycare are left in a situation where they have no contact with men between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Changing Ireland (2022) report that these figures remain unchanged. Read more below, which includes a focus on a male in the childcare sector.
One of the recurring arguments in support of more men in childcare is the ‘men as role models’ argument, that men provide role models for children, especially boys.
In this issue, academics and educators from Ireland, the EU and Australia consider the issue of gender imbalance in the ECEC workforce, examine the challenges for men entering the profession, and explore how the issue is being addressed internationally, both to raise awareness and to employ practical strategies to recruit and retain more men into the sector.
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