Nursery World - Positive relationships: Let's talk about ... men in childcare

Are attitudes really changing towards employing men in nurseries? Annette Rawstrone spoke with nursery owners.

Q: Do you employ any male practitioners?

A: 'We've never employed a man; we've never had the opportunity. We're based in Stoke-on-Trent and I think that's half the problem. We've not had a bloke apply for a job in 14 years.'

'We have had a male staff member since just before Christmas. We interviewed six people for a post under the New Opportunities jobs fund and he was the only man. None of them were qualified and he was the one who really stood out because he came across as having a genuine liking of children and a passion to work with them. But we did have a dilemma and thought seriously about how parents would react, whether they would think it was appropriate.'

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