Mar 25, 2022
MITEY | Men in the Early Years Settings
Within The Old Station Nursery Group, we are proud to support Men in the Early Years. We value men’s potential to contribute positively to the care and education of young children, and we want to ensure that we are taking every possible step to bring them into our workforce.
MITEY and its vision
Men In The Early Years (MITEY), an initiative by the Fatherhood Institute, is dedicated to diversifying the Early Years education workforce by encouraging men to join and supporting them once they become part of the team. The network comprises male early years practitioners, supportive female colleagues, nursery owners, managers, and individuals with an interest in gender equality and early child development.
MITEY have a clear vision: to have a mixed-gender early years workforce, where practitioners can provide the best quality education and care to the children in their settings. They also provide a variety of resources, accessible information and support for all those wanting to be involved.
Embracing the MITEY Charter
As a group, we have signed up to the MITEY charter, which is pledge for nurseries, Pre-Schools, childminders, nannies and other Early Years education settings across the UK. Through this commitment, we:
- Acknowledge and value men’s capacity to nurture and educate children.
- Recognise the benefits of a diverse, mixed-gender workforce for children’s development.
- Actively seek to create a workforce that welcomes individuals of all gender identities.
- Strive to eliminate obstacles, such as low pay and limited career progression, to foster a mixed-gender workforce.
- See Early Years education as a vital platform to address gender inequality and stereotypes, benefiting both children and society as a whole.
Below is just what a few of our male employees have to say about working within the Early Years Sector at The Old Station Nursery Group:
“Having men work in childcare in amazing. For some children they don’t always have a male role model and someone to learn from. In my experience I have noticed children respond differently to male staff members. The children are always happy to see myself and my other male staff member. They will frequently talk about us at home.” – Jake, Nursery Manager
“Since starting with Sandhills , I have had loads of positive feed back from both parents and colleagues”– Craig, Nursery Cook
“The reason why I think men are an important asset to Early years is it gives diversity and representation to children and it can offer a different perspective on everyday life for the children. It also supports children who haven’t got a male figure/role model in their life giving them a different outlook.”- Jason, Nursery Practitioner
Join us in our journey to build a more inclusive and diverse future for Early Years education.
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