subject: Daycare Director Talks About Hiring Men [print this page] A hot topic with daycare programs is whether men should be part of the staff. Personally, I think that if there is a man who is qualified to work with children and wants to, then go for it. I think that children need men in their lives just as much as they need women. However, like any issue there are pluses and minuses.
It Cost More
The biggest drawback to having a male caregiver is that your insurance rates go up. There is a huge liability when you hire men and you may not believe it but your liability insurance will actually increase. For me this is the main factor you have to consider. Will the increased insurance make things too tight for your daycare program?
A Different Way to Play
Along with providing a father figure, the greatest benefit to having a man on staff is that they play with the children differently. Children look at their fathers differently than their mothers, especially when it comes to playtime. It is stereotyping, but true that a man would be better at conducting physical activities with the children. Some children react differently around their mother or father, so having a male staff member would provide choices for the children.
Safety
Although it may seem backwards, safety is actually one of the benefits of having a male on staff. When you go on field trips, having a man present is a great idea. If they come on field trips, it is less likely that someone will try to mess with the children.
There Would Be Restrictions
Although I think it is okay to hire a man, there would have to be restrictions. The man would be an associate teacher. Meaning that he would be paired with another staff member. Even if I had full faith in the man, misunderstandings happen. If the man is left in the room with the children and one child complains about something that happened, it is going to greatly hurt your center. Even if nothing happened it becomes the child's word versus the man's, and this is not something that you want to deal with.
Great Alternative
A great way to have a male presence in your center is to bring in outside entertainment. Bring a musician or a physical education teacher to the center to teach the children. By bring in outside specialists you broaden the number of things the children learn and experience in their early years.
There are pluses and minuses about having a male caregiver. I think that it comes down to each director to decide what they think is best for their center. Furthermore, it comes down to parents to decide how they feel about having their child in a daycare program that has a male staff member.
