If the COVID-19 pandemic taught us one thing, it is that to continue on a steady path toward gender equity and a healthy economy, we must adequately value and invest in care workers.
I was blown away when you told me that Seattle babysitters make $30 an hour! (And it looks like SF is even higher: https://www.care.com/babysitting-rates) I know that full-time childcare is extremely taxing ... and also $62,400 a year is not a bad salary. It looks like there are some interesting apprenticeship programs for immigrants to enter the early childhood field. (https://www.migrationpolicy.org/news/apprenticeships-early-childhood-education-care) I’m curious what you think about the dual stigma of men in childcare. My impression is that men think childcare as a profession is emasculating and mothers are less likely to trust men. Do you think anything can be done so that more men become professional childcare workers?
The nanny rates have skyrocketed post-pandemic. While $62.5k isn't bad, it's not great in an expensive city like Seattle either, especially if as a caregiver you also have children to care for. On the other hand, not many families can afford to pay a household employee $62.5k plus benefits... so it's unsustainable on both ends. But there's a huge lack of supply at care centers, which are more affordable (and pay less). As far as men entering childcare, that's an interesting question. I can't speak to whether or not men feel emasculated by caregiving, but what comes to mind is that it likely feels much less comfortable because most men were raised with conscious and unconscious messages that it's not a "natural" role for them, and have done less caregiving in their lifetimes because it wasn't expected of them, which then makes them feel less compelled (or qualified) to work in caregiving. Two sides of the same coin, I guess. My kids have had several male caregivers in their preschools recently, though our schools may not be representative of the norm - and I think it's great. I wonder if centers actively recruiting men or creating educational pathways that do so with a campaign to normalize all people as caregivers would help. And long term, so much of this goes back to the gender equity that starts in the household...
I was blown away when you told me that Seattle babysitters make $30 an hour! (And it looks like SF is even higher: https://www.care.com/babysitting-rates) I know that full-time childcare is extremely taxing ... and also $62,400 a year is not a bad salary. It looks like there are some interesting apprenticeship programs for immigrants to enter the early childhood field. (https://www.migrationpolicy.org/news/apprenticeships-early-childhood-education-care) I’m curious what you think about the dual stigma of men in childcare. My impression is that men think childcare as a profession is emasculating and mothers are less likely to trust men. Do you think anything can be done so that more men become professional childcare workers?
The nanny rates have skyrocketed post-pandemic. While $62.5k isn't bad, it's not great in an expensive city like Seattle either, especially if as a caregiver you also have children to care for. On the other hand, not many families can afford to pay a household employee $62.5k plus benefits... so it's unsustainable on both ends. But there's a huge lack of supply at care centers, which are more affordable (and pay less). As far as men entering childcare, that's an interesting question. I can't speak to whether or not men feel emasculated by caregiving, but what comes to mind is that it likely feels much less comfortable because most men were raised with conscious and unconscious messages that it's not a "natural" role for them, and have done less caregiving in their lifetimes because it wasn't expected of them, which then makes them feel less compelled (or qualified) to work in caregiving. Two sides of the same coin, I guess. My kids have had several male caregivers in their preschools recently, though our schools may not be representative of the norm - and I think it's great. I wonder if centers actively recruiting men or creating educational pathways that do so with a campaign to normalize all people as caregivers would help. And long term, so much of this goes back to the gender equity that starts in the household...