Men in Childcare – Stigmas and Misconceptions

Childcare – an industry essential to employees of all industries. Parents, who are raising a little one, might naturally need an extra hand here and there to help out. Being a full-time parent and (maybe also) full-time employee are two big roles. This is where childcare workers come into play. They care, protect and encourage children to learn and grow. Unfortunately, like most industries, unique stigmas arise in childcare aswell. Gender stereotypes regarding the childcare professionals are especially prevalent.

Although it is commonly accepted as fact, that a mere 2% of the childcare industry is powered by men globally, its also important to note, that the inequality does not necessarily benefit the children, either. Having a diverse set of role models in early childhood can help not only aid the development of childrens’ cognition, but even diminish internalised gender stereotypes and anxieties relating to them. According to the Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) – the official Dutch statistics bureau – care work is heavily dominated by women in the Netherlands too. The Health and Welfare industry is most heavily dominated by women with 80.4%, which includes childcare. This ratio has stayed largely unchanged since the mid 1990s, even though the amount of job positions has roughly doubled since then.

So- what is keeping men from care work positions?

Profiling

Imagine a babysitter. What demographic comes to your mind?

It is well known, that men are not the stereotypical example of “babysitter,” “nanny” or even “kindergarten teacher”. In a study published earlier this year, 280 participants were asked about their perception on gender in the childcare industry to deduce prevalent biases, prejudices and stereotypes. When asked who they imagined as a childcare worker, a majority of 61% of participants reported imagining solely women, and only 2% imagined solely men.

Expectations and Associations

Men, who enter the childcare industry are faced with unique expectations and misconceptions about their gender. In a Czechian study, participants were questioned on their perception of men working in childcare. Some core beliefs were revealed.

When describing attributes expected for childcare workers, the terms “warm”, “patient,” “kind,” and “caring” were mentioned most often. One can argue, that this is reasonable, as adequately caring for children heavily requires these traits. However, studies find, that men are typically seen as “less suitable for working with children because of their lower perceived warmth” (Haines et al., 2025). In fact, the Czechian study participants percieve men as less warm, less moral, and less competent in regards to childcare.

Furthermore, participants associate men in childcare with threats to the children twice as much as other childcare workers. Research indicates, that many people harbour suspicions regarding male childcarers. They are proscribed threatening behaviour, such as child abuse or physical violence.This leads to male nannies expressing discomfort with displaying affection for the children they care for, in fear of being profiled as a child abuser.

These are obviously heavy-handed presumptions and allegations to place on an entire gender – and it is important to note, that men are not the sole victims of such stereotypes. The expectations of inadequacy amongst male childcare professionals are only one side of the coin. The flip-side shows women in childcare, who are held to higher standards when performing their job. Because, as men are expected not to be warm – women are. As men are expected to be assertive, women are not. This leads to an overall limiting offer of childcare, as assertiveness provides an example of a quality, that can be helpful to teach children about boundaries and respect.

What does this mean for the kids?

Lastly, and most importantly: the kids. The social politics regarding childcare and gender limits the access they have to diverse role models, values and socialisation. A Hungarian study found, that “fathers, who performed more childcare, their children demonstrated less knowledge of gender stereotypes” (Rowe, 2024). This can provide children with tools for shaping their own personalities around personal beliefs and values, rather than expectations of their gender. Male childcare professionals have illustrated, how the children they care for express toxic and self-diminishing gender stereotypes at ages as young as primary school-age. This does not only have the potential to lead to diminutive and discriminatory views on others, but also internalised body-consciousness and feelings of inadequacy as a member of a certain sex.

Alternatively, growing up with a variety of role models can help children understand that men and women – though influenced by their socialisation – are individuals and can all be warm, kind, caring, agentic, patient and assertive. It can help children grow up with greater emotional intelligence, deeper empathy and broader horizons.

All things considered, more diversity amongst childcare workers would benefit children in their overall growth and give them valuable tools for the future – both for emotional development and for social skills.

We are grateful to have a wonderful group of Näppsitters, and welcome anybody who has a passion for childcare to enrich the families in our community looking for extra help – regardless of gender, age, heritage or sexuality!

P.S. If you are interested in reading the mentioned Czechian study for detailed information on men in childcare – stigmas and misconceptions, click here.