Mic 05 Kenny Colin

							making a world
 of difference
                              ‘We Can Work It Out’
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                              A presentation by
                              Kenny Spence and Colin Chisholm
                              Men in Childcare
                              IMAGINE September 20th 2005 London
making a world
 of difference                The Story so Far
                              Since 2000 Men in Childcare have changed the
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                              face of Scottish Childcare training. We now
                              provides courses throughout Scotland and our
                              approach to recruiting men into childcare
                              training has been endorsed on a local and
                              national level.
                              The Edinburgh Childcare Partnership and The
                              Scottish Executive directly fund the Men in
                              Childcare project.
making a world
 of difference
                              • Men in Childcare is the most successful
                                project of its type in the UK.
                              • We focus on the benefits of having men
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                                working in early years. Children will benefit if
                                care settings are more representative of
                                society.
                              • Men need Women, Women need Men,
                                Children need Both.
                              • If childcare and early education remain
                                completely female dominated, children may
                                lose out on the contribution men can make
                                and men will lose out on a fulfilling career.
making a world
 of difference
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making a world
 of difference                  Is it really necessary?
                              • Men in Childcare recognise the fact that more men
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                                working in childcare will help counteract the view that
                                childcare is only ‘women’s work'.
                              • We don’t agree that only one gender can parent.
                                (Although if scientists get their way we will soon have
                                children with two mothers and some children with no
                                biological fathers) therefore it is even more important
                                that we strengthen the argument.
                              • In the same way that it is important for children to have
                                positive female role models it is surely equally important
                                to have positive male role models.
making a world
 of difference
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                                   Daddy or Chips?
making a world
 of difference                •   Daddy
                              •   Chips
                              •   Both
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                              •   There shouldn’t have to be a choice
                              •   Men or Women in childcare
                              •   Both
                              •   Forget Daddy or Chips

                                  We shouldn’t have to make a choice we should give
                                  children and families as many options and as much
                                  support as is available.
making a world
 of difference
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                               If it’s so great why don’t
                               more men do this job ?
making a world
 of difference
                              •It takes a leap of faith
                              •What would friends think in the pub?
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                              •Would people think you’re odd?
                              •You feel isolated and unsupported
                              •Training is set up to attract females from school
                              •There had been no motivation to change the
                              status quo
                              •It doesn't pay too well
making a world
 of difference                    What’s changed ?
                              • More single Dads
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                              • Men only courses
                              • Media much more supportive
                              • In some areas the salary has improved.
                              • Government ministers taking an interest
                              • Because there are more men there is more
                                peer support
                              • More discussion more people want it to happen
making a world
 of difference                 What are the benefits from
                               having men in childcare ?
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                              • Children could benefit because of a male
                                perspective, men and women are different
                              • A more gender balanced staff group gives
                                different ways of looking at issues
                              • Fathers could benefit because they have
                                someone to relate to and may feel more at
                                ease
making a world
 of difference                 Issues for Dads
                              • There are very few resources targeting men
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                              • Early years settings are historically feminised
                              • Currently lack of support for single dads in the
                                community
                              • Having more men working in childcare
                                provides support and changes the dynamics
                                of childcare settings
                              • Men often have difficulty asking for extra
                                support as regards parenting
making a world
 of difference                 Issues for children
                              • Many children now grow up in a one parent
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                                household and might not experience daily
                                contact with a man until Secondary School
                              • Half of all marriages now end in divorce
                              • Male children like to run, jump and play fight.
                                In a day care setting this is often not
                                encouraged
                              • We celebrate differences culturally yet often
                                not about gender whatever happened to
                                Equal opportunities!
making a world
 of difference                 Staff Groups
                              • Regular discussion with staff teams working
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                                with pre fives suggest that more of a gender
                                balance would facilitate different approaches
                              • It sometimes provides an opportunity to see
                                different perspective from both sides of an
                                argument.
                              • Men and woman are different
making a world
 of difference                 How has the media changed?
                              • A large number of Hollywood films with the man
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                                as a the main carer,
                              • This includes 2005 films like The Pacifier, My
                                Baby’s Daddy
                              • Before that there was Daddy Day Care and
                                Kindergarten Cop
                              • Positive media articles in the Observer,
                                Womans hour
making a world
 of difference                 Why the success?

                              • We directly aimed our advertising at men
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                              • We responded quickly
                              • We were able to speak to them at each and
                                every stage of their training
                              • We provided support
                              • We were able to provide a complete pathway
                                of training
                              • We have built good relationships with
                                Colleges
making a world
 of difference                Men Only Courses
                              •Intro Course 2 hours per week accredited
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                              •Fast track to HNC which is 1 evening per
                              week
                              •H.N.C. full time or part time is a course for
                              both men and woman as yet not enough men
                              per class for men only HNC
making a world
 of difference                Who are the men who
                              traditionally care for children ?
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                              •Fathers
                              •Partners
                              •Extended Family
                              •School Teachers
                              •After School Care
making a world
 of difference
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making a world
 of difference                What support we offer
                              •Peer support
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                              •Improve access to college courses for men
                              •Promotion of the fact that men can
                              care for children

                              Encourage support within the childcare
                              and education sector to adopt dad
                              friendly policies
making a world
 of difference                Additional Support
                              •Mentors
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                              •Regular meetings with Students
                              •Telephone support for Students
                              •Meetings with College Lecturers
                              •All course fees met
making a world
 of difference
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making a world
 of difference
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making a world
 of difference
                                What we have achieved
                              • Since 2001 Men in Childcare have had
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                                over 700 men who have done some form
                                of training.
                              • In Edinburgh there are 25 fully qualified
                                men who are now working in childcare
                                settings.
                              • 70 men are currently in training, 40 of
                                whom will be fully qualified by June 2007.
making a world
 of difference
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