Why?

1. Improving the Quality of Relationships that Early Childhood Education Services have with their Male Carer ClientsElaine Dyer & Geoff BridgmanInvited PresentationFathering Forum 23 March 2011Families Commission

2. Why? • The male contribution to domestic violence in New Zealand is very high • High father engagement with their children’s development in the pre-school years lowers levels of family violence, aggression, divorce, and increases educational achievement, and social competence • Participation rates of men in Early Childhood Education are very low

3. Violence Free Waitakere • Focus on Fathering programme – providing raising awareness of the male parenting role and creating supportive interventions • Awareness raising – FoF week, Photographic exhibition in a large mall of dads and kids, Dads Day Out • Interventions – What did you do at work today Dad? ECE project • Related projects: Toddler’s Day Out, Violence Free Begins with Me, Our Amazing Place

4. Aims • To Identify the ways in which Early Childhood Education (ECE) services engage with their male clients (the “male carers”) of the children in their services • To identify the gaps in ECE services which if addressed would improve the quality of engagement that male carers have with their children and with ECE services. • To implement and evaluate a “father friendly” intervention approach with a small number of ECE services.

5. ECE Centre Survey • Demographic questions – carers, children, staff, volunteers • Activities and types of engagement – communication • Resources, issues of safety • Open ended questions around male carer engagement

6. Who responded? • 15% of 120 centres so far have responded • Full range of types – Kohanga Reo, Pacific Island Language ECE, Montesiori, Playcentre, Kindergarten, ECE centres – 20-120 children)

7. Where are the men? • Less than 5% of all ECE teaching are men • 61% of Centres definitely want to employ men, but think that parents are less keen (50%) “There are always going to be some parents who may question the role a male teacher may play in caring for their child” “When we employed a male teacher in the past we did have two families pull their children from our care”

8. Worried parents? • “I would go out of my way to ensure that any concerns were addressed before the teacher began working for me - in other words I would consult with my families and reassure them that this person was the best applicant for the position.” • “I think the parents would be surprised, but would also value the input a male staff member might have.” • “I just don't whether parents are accepting....” • “I think the parents would be more than happy for us to employ a Male staff member.”

9. What effect have men had? • 89% really value a male presence. Two say that it’s the person, not the gender that’s most important. “the older boys thrive by having a male in the centre” “the response from the older children in having a male around is profound.” “some of the children like to go and see him (the cook) in the morning when they get here, rather than one of their day to day teachers.” “dads stick around longer and listen to stories that he tells them about what their children have been doing. The children have really warmed to him”. “male teachers are fantastic for the children and families”.

10. Engaging the men 61% think it’s a bit harder or much harder to engage men “ Not interested: “there’s not enough men”, they’re too busy with work and career”, “they’re not keen on meetings” “male carers tend to see [Playcentre training) as a huge obstacle” Male embarassment: “Shy, worried no other dads will be here - don't want to be the only male amongst all the females” “it makes them look soft” Female conspiracy: “mothers come to the evenings, etc, and leave dad looking after the kids..” “most the men were not even asked about this evening - their partners had made the decision that they would not be interested”

11. Centres are attractive to men because: • they are “friendly, engaging”, “welcoming”, “inclusive” • they recognise male strengths: they are “flexible”, “unique”, “acknowledging of difference” • they use specific male engagement practices: “putting out equipment that attracts males”, “fish and chip nights”, “makings things with your child events”, “parent evenings”, “coming on trips”, “asking men to be involved”, “planning ahead so that dads,and mums, can take time off to for example attend a trip” • they have a strong kaupapa, supportive management and team, clear systems, family based processes, whanaungatanga • they have strong wairuatanga or spiritual practice

12. Who comes? • Men are usually not present when a new child is introduced to the centre • 21% of drop offs and pick-ups are done by men • Two centres see no male carers, and another 4 have 10% or less male carers. • Three centres have 45-50% male carers • Centres with a male staff member (33%) don’t necessarily have more male carers. • Being friendly seems to be best correlated with the presence of male carers

13. Male volunteers • 21% of volunteers are male • Many centres have no volunteers or just one. 50% have no male volunteers • Three centres – a Kohanga Reo, a playcentre and a kindergarten have 30 or more volunteers • Key male volunteer roles: gardening, security, maintenance, committee work, accounts, kaumatua, minister • Restricted roles? Women: Teachers, Support Staff, Kitchen Staff Men: Handy Man, Gardener, Security • Roles playing/working with children “rough and tumble programme” very rare.

14. Activities • Good male attendance at Xmas parties, Father’s day events, parent evenings, maintenance working parties, social events • Not so good for excursions, parent education evenings • Kohanga Reo men are more engaged in classroom work and excursions

15. Conversations with men

16. Communication

17. Newsletters, notices

18. Resources for men

19. Safety for men

20. What can be done? How friendly are we? 27% “respectful”, 33% “friendly”, 40% “very friendly” More appealing information targeted at male care giving roles. Newsletters more appropriate More readings left out for dads to pick up and get good ideas from Put our books and resources in a more prominent place for them to see Advertise in newsletters the resources that we do have that they could borrow Ask for more help with community projects that could promote male carers

21. What can be done? More “male” discussions. Think more about our environment and making it more male friendly. Give more authority to our men, and strength to our teachers to deal with these difficult issues The support male teachers and carers need should be outlined in policy, procedures and requirements for the safety ..along with the Police vetting to keep parents and the community feel safe Ads on the TV during the rugby or other sports that support Dads at ECE Big billboards that show dads/male carers their child at an ECE centre

22. Mens Survey • many men play a major role if not the major role in the care of their children. • many men are very busy with their work • the vast majority spend no time at ECE centres other than in dropping off and picking up • many are not entirely comfortable at the Centre and have no interest in volunteering. • a quarter do volunteer time, but this is confined to governance, fundraising, equipment and maintenance work and not to volunteer work that involves interactions with children. • one respondent did drawing and writing, another would like to do so, while third said he would like to cook at the centre. One respondent said: “I don’t think I have anything to offer.”