Dads and Daycare Services

[daycaredad]

Greetings all...
The corporate world had beaten my wife and I to our knees and we have searched high and low...and within, and we have concluded that we would like to start our own day care facility here in our home. I am able to convert the available space and add more since I am a contractor as well.

We are parents of 4 children, ages 13, 6, 5, and 2, and we have been exposed to daycare centers, home facilities and just about everything else in between since we became parents in 1998.

While we are quite aware of the stringent guidelines, red tape, and over head that will come with such an undertaking, I think our biggest concern is...well...me.

Let's face it...I am a man and this is an industry that is dominated by female providers, teachers, and owners. While I am an upstanding citizen with a squeaky clean past and an active volunteer in the community from little league on down to food drives and a devoted father of 4.....I am still a man.

Is there an inherited stigma that comes with a male being involved with the day care daily business? Will this hurt enrollment due to prior conceived notions and prejudgment?


Are there any other father/men who can chime in here? Any female providers with opinions on this?

Thank you for your input and time.

[jen]

My husband had, and on occassion still does, assist me with daycare. So far, it has always been viewed as a plus.

He attends all interviews so that people have the opportunity to meet him and feel comfortable with him providing care to their children. I make sure that prospective clients know he has attended all of the appropriate training and is licensed, as am I. If I get any vibe that they are uncomfortable, I make sure to suggest that they discuss his presence when checking my references. All my daycare families love my hubby.


There will always be a few people who are prejudiced against male caregivers, but you probably don't want those clients anyway.

[SilverSabre25]

My husband works a 4/10 split shift, so 8:30-1:30 and then 5:30-10:30 four days a week. He's here all afternoon and all day on Thursday, so he's a big part of the daycare. He does everything from changing diapers to giving bottles, playing, taking kiddos outside, preparing and serving meals, whatever.

In the one year I've been open, I have only encountered a small bit of reticence on the part of one (very uptight) set of parents regarding his involvement. DH is always here for interviews. We always make it VERY clear from the VERY first interview that he's a big part of things--we make sure to play up the benefits: he's more willing to play the wrestling-type games, he's a built-in back-up provider if I am sick so we don't have to close for sick days, he's a second pair of hands so some kids can stay in and some can go out, he's a great dad and going back to school to be a high school history teacher.

Of the parents who didn't choose to use me, none of them cited DH as the reason (or a reason) why they weren't going to use me. All the parents I have seem to like DH as much as they like me. The kiddos love DH, too.

[cillybean83]

My husband is very active in my daycare as well, and the moms (Especially single moms) find it to be a huge plus. He adores kids and doesn't do much "work" but he loves to crawl around on the floor and play so the kids like him way better than me!

My husband tries to be at interviews, but if he can't due to work, then he meets the parents whenever he's available too.

I personally wouldn't be concerned at all!

[Cat Herder]

My DH is my backup for Doctors appointments, illness and emergencies...so far no problems here. 17 years and holding.

Honestly if they choose not to come to your center because of your being a male, then they would have been a difficult family, most likely, anyway. It may actually benefit your wife in working as a PITA filter....

Good luck with your new joint venture!

[mickey2]

dads and daycare

My DH is my backup for Doctors appointments, illness and emergencies...so far no problems here. 17 years and holding.

Honestly if they choose not to come to your center because of your being a male, then they would have been a difficult family, most likely, anyway. It may actually benefit your wife in working as a PITA filter....

Good luck with your new joint venture!

I agree 100% with Catherder!

My husband is very involved with the kiddies. He takes them outside to play, reads them stories, helps me to get them up from naps etc. He is always the one who stays with my daycare children when I have appointments or emergencies as well. He is ALWAYS at all of my interviews and we go through the interviewing process together. I think it works very well with the parents as I have never had one PITA! My daycare children love him and so do all of our parents. At this time we are full with no openings in sight for quite some time. My daycare runs better because he is here! As another bonus he is also great at fixing things!

[kendallina]

I love seeing men being involved in childcare and lots of families do too! Good luck to you and your wife!

[Abigail]

A male being involved in providing quality childcare is rare, which makes it unique and should draw in more clients out of respect. Men can be excellent providers too. Someone in our town advertises their home daycare as "Mr. & Mrs. [insert goofy name here]" and it shows in the title that it is a husband and wife business. They also have a picture of them so you don't think they are fish since their goofy name is a fishy name. Enjoy your new business and career as a couple.

[Crystal]

My husband has worked with me full-time for 13 years. We have always been full and are licensed for 14 children.

[daycaredad]

WOW....what an out pouring! I had expected some mixed feedback, but the optimism is contagious. I can not thank you all enough for your in depth replies. This will certainly help our resolve to forge ahead with vim and vigor. She will be very happy to read this. It is something I really want to be a part of with her.

[MG&Lsmom]

My husband helps out as well. Men care for and play with children in different ways than females. I view it as an asset to helping them become more rounded individuals. The licensor who ran my training class was a man who had owned and worked with his wife in their home daycare for 2 decades. He now works for the state, but he thought it was great there were men at our training and had many positive things to say about presence of a man in the daily lives of children. I think your idea is a fantastic one!

That being said, as a parent looking at home daycares 4 years ago I was totally creeped out by one situation. It was the elderly father of the 50-60ish woman who was the fully licensed provider. He had to have been in his late 70s. The whole place was sketchy and I never would have considered it a place for DD regardless of his presence. But he was a creepy old man rocking in a chair watching cartoons with 2 filthy poorly behaved little boys, yelling at them and reeking of smoke.

[boysx5]

my dh helps me with my daycare he is back up for me when needed the kids love and him and the parents love him as well. I think if you and your wife work well together this sounds like a good plan good luck to both of you

[daycaredad]

My husband has worked with me full-time for 13 years. We have always been full and are licensed for 14 children.

Wow...that is conviction enough!

[ammama]

husbands in daycare

My husband is my back up provider, and my families are all ok with that. On days that he has off from work, it is great to have that male energy around here (for instance, he built an ice slide for the kids this morning in the backyard). I would stress that to parents about how great it is to have balanced male/female energies around. On the other hand, i'm not sure that I would ever place my child in a daycare that was run by a man that I didn't know, if his wife was not there with him. I know this is prejudice, but it's hard to leave your kids with strangers, and i've heard so many stories. There are a few 'daddy daycare' adds that I see up on my local kijiji, who have been trying to fill up for a long time, and it looks like they are having a few problems filling spots. The reality is that given a choice between a great male provider and a great female provider, many families would probably go with the woman. I hope no one jumps on me for this post.

[JenNJ]

My husband is also my backup. He owns his own business and often likes to stop by and play with our kids (2 and 5) and the daycare kids during the day. All of the parents are more than ok with it and the daycare kids treat him like he is a rock star.