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Attracting More Men to Child Care
How to… and why you should
It's a well known fact: the vast majority of people working in child care are females. Figures from the ABS show that at least 95 per cent of the working population of child care workers are female.
Attracting men to the industry is difficult and complicated: there are issues surrounding parental suspicion of men and the idea that child care is 'women's work', the low pay and status of child care workers have also been identified as a deterrent.
However, for an industry facing severe staff shortages and high demand it seems unsustainable to only source employees from 50 per cent of the population.
For men to be successfully integrated into the child care workforce the industry needs to recognise the unique skills that men bring to child care work and not expect men to provide care in exactly the same way as their female counterparts.
One child care centre in NSW defies all the statistics and currently has five (5) male child care workers in a team of 16. We spoke to this group of dedicated young men to find out what attracted them to child care and why they stick with it, despite the odds.
» Read the full article… |
Reporting Absences for CCB
Update from the CCMS Helpdesk
With the start of the new financial year in July, the absence count for all children has been reset to zero, so this is a good time to remind you about the treatment of absences for Child Care Benefit (CCB) purposes.
Background
Child care services usually charge fees for booked sessions of care, whether or not the child attends the session. CCB can also be paid for a reasonable number of absences.
There are some basic requirements that always apply to absences. CCB is only paid if the absence is on a day:
- the child would normally attend care, and
- you have charged a fee, and
- the service is operating and care is available if required (apart from public holidays).
» Read the full article…
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Interview
Kate Jamieson
Centre Manager Lyndhurst Early Learning Centre
Clayfield Brisbane QLD
 Child care professionals share a commitment to improving society by creating dynamic and nurturing care environments for Australia's youngest learners.
Read this month's Child Care People in the spotlight Kate Jamieson the Centre Manager at Lyndhurst Early Learning Centre Clayfield Brisbane QLD.
» Read about Kate…
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 If you or someone you know deserves to be featured in this section drop us a line at editor@careforkids.com.au.
Each child care person we profile will receive a copy of Play School Collection (3 DVD set) for their service.
Courtesy of ABC Kids and Roadshow Entertainment.
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Going Green
How to set up a garden in your service
It's never too early to introduce children to the joy of gardening and child care centres are an excellent place to plant those early seeds of interest.
According to US website kidsgardening.org gardening programs in child care centres and preschools are beneficial because:
children are active and engaged
gardening builds on prior learning and experiences with their environment
the garden provides opportunities for children to develop a relationship with nature
gardening projects are flexible and can be as small as a container garden in a window or as large as a schoolyard habitat
gardening lessons emphasise direct experience and sensory learning and provide opportunities for children to both ask and answer questions.
In addition gardens teach young children about environmental responsibility, team work, healthy eating, patience and responsibility while at the same time boosting physical activity and beautifying the centre's environment.
» Read the full article…
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Good News
For working parents & the child care industry
In good news for the child care industry, a landmark study from the US has shown that children raised by working parents don't necessarily suffer developmental setbacks.
The overall conclusion of the report was that the effect of women returning to work within a year of having a baby is developmentally neutral.
The study was conducted by the National Institute of Child Health and followed more than 1000 children from 10 different areas tracking their development and family characteristics.
Babies with mothers in full time employment scored lower on cognitive tests until they entered primary school, however on the plus side working mums had higher income and were more likely to seek high quality child care. They also displayed greater "maternal sensitivity," or responsiveness toward their children, than stay-at-home mothers and these positives cancelled out the negatives.
The study also showed that part time employment in the first year and full time employment beyond the first year had no effect on a child's development.
More details are available from The National Center for Children and Families, Columbia University, NY.
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Keeping You In The Know
Don't forget about our free daily child care news feed
The child care sector is going through a period of rapid change right now and sometimes it feels as though there is a new Government announcement every other day.
Staying on top of industry news should be a priority for child care professionals during this time of change, however, the reality is no one has enough time to sift through all papers and read the relevant bits.
In an effort to tackle this issue head on CareforKids.com.au is delighted to announce the launch of our FREE daily news feed.
We collate all the most important and relevant industry news of the day and email it to you in a single easy to read message, on days when there is no news then you won't receive a message.
This opt in service will ensure you are up-to-date on industry news as and when it happens.
To take advantage of this great new service click on the link below.
» Subscribe here…
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Featured posts
CareforKids Social
CCMS
Connecting our kids to nature
Benefits of Long Day or Family Day Care
Home & Contents Insurance for Family Day Care
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Got Some Time Out…
Catch up on back issues of Child Care News
August 2010
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April 2010
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December 2009
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September 2009
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Hello and welcome to the September edition of Child Care News.
What an interesting result to the election! We were hoping to provide you with a summary of the results, however given the negotiations currently underway there could be significant changes to early childhood policies outlined in the pre-election manifestos. Look out for an article next month.
Finding and retaining staff is a perennial issue for child care centre operators. In Australia less than four percent of child care workers are male and it seems as though the child care industry would be well advised to look at ways to attract more men to the sector to tap into this potentially rich source of employees.
Top Ryde Early Learning in NSW has done just this and currently 25 per cent of the carers there are male. Meet the guys and the centre director this month.
We have an update on reporting absences in the CCMS and also some results about a huge new study in the US which examined the effects on babies of having a mother in full time employment.
This month's child care worker in the spotlight is Kate Jamieson Centre Manager of the Lyndhurst Early Learning Centre in Queensland. Kate firmly believes that staff are the key to running an effective child care service and her proactive approach has helped her build a strong team with an amazingly diverse skills base.
Have you been thinking about setting up a garden at your service? Find out how to do it in this month's issue.
Have a great month and remember to drop me a line if you know someone who deserves to be profiled or if you have any story ideas.
All this and lots more, so keep reading!
Roxanne Elliott
CareforKids.com.au®
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Jobs in Child Care
Early Childhood Educators
Ada Mary Abeckett Children's Centre
Port Melbourne VIC
Teacher
Blue Gum Community School
Hackett ACT
Certificate III Childcare Assistant
Brookvale Early Learning Centre
Brookvale NSW
Kindergarten Teacher
Peppercorn Childcare
Montmorency VIC
Live in Nanny
Goldman Family
Campbelltown NSW
Trainee Child Care Worker
Castle Hill Child Care Centre
Castle Hill NSW
Childcare Worker - Diploma
Tillys Play And Development Centre
Muswellbrook NSW
Early Childhood Teacher - 2IC
Tillys Play And Development Centre
Muswellbrook NSW
Authorised Supervisor
Little Cottage Preschool
Penrith NSW
Kindergarten Teacher
Kiddy Palace Learning Centre
Epping NSW
Early Childhood Area Manager
Costi's Enterprises Pty Ltd
Edensor Park NSW
Diploma Qualified, Child Care Professional
Kids Paradise Child Care Centre
Carrum Downs VIC
Authorised Supervisor/ECT
Earth Angels Childcare
Tinonee NSW
Qualified Care Giver / Early Childhood Teacher
UWA Child Care Centre
Nedlands WA
Early Childhood Educators
Warringah Council
Belrose / Narrabeen NSW
» More featured Jobs
ChildcareJobs.com.au |
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Daily News Feed
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With our daily news feed of course!
For more info click here or just go ahead and subscribe below.
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Feedback
Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments. Suggestions you may have for future issues are most welcome.
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Most Popular articles
This month's most popular articles, checklists, links & tips:
Child care subsidies – an overview
Comparing child care options
Cost of child care
An overview of in-home care
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