Around 5% of childcare workers are male. That's a strikingly low figure in a sector that serves children from all kinds of families — including those without a father figure at home. This article explores whether male childcare workers make a difference for your child, and how you as a parent might think about it.
Men in childcare: just how rare is it?
An estimated 130,000 people work in childcare in the Netherlands. Of those, roughly 5% are male. In practice, this means that at most daycare centers (kinderdagverblijf/KDV) and after-school care (BSO) locations, you simply won't encounter a male childcare professional. Compared to other European countries, the Netherlands ranks on the lower end. In Denmark, the share of men in childcare is around 8%, and slightly higher in Norway — countries that have already invested in diversifying their childcare workforce in recent years.
That low percentage is no coincidence. It's tied to public perception, employment conditions, and the way the sector presents itself. But the result is tangible: most children grow up in a childcare environment where every professional carer and supervisor is female. Whether that's a problem depends on how you view the role of childcare.
What can a male childcare worker offer your child?
From an early age, children look to adults to make sense of the world around them. Research shows that children who have regular contact with male caregivers — at home or in childcare — develop a broader understanding of what adults can be and do. This has less to do with specifically "male" behaviour and more to do with diversity in styles, responses, and interactions.
When every person caring for a child is female, that sends a message — even if unintentionally. A male staff member in the group shows children that caring for others isn't an exclusively female domain. That matters for all children, but perhaps most of all for boys looking for someone to identify with.
For children who have little or no male role models at home, contact with a male carer at their childcare setting can carry extra significance. Not because men are better, but because it makes their world a little bigger.
Research into the effects of male childcare workers is limited, but many childcare providers themselves highlight that they value diversity within their team of childcare professionals. Because these settings want to contribute to children's development, they aim to give children as broad a perspective as possible. Children already encounter a wide variety of female role models in childcare, but male role models remain scarce — or entirely absent.
Research also indicates that children respond equally well to both male and female staff members. However, differences in approach have been noted: male childcare professionals tend to choose different types of activities — often more physically active ones — compared to their female colleagues. Childcare providers report welcoming this, as it allows children to develop in a wider range of ways. It's also valuable for children to see that adults don't all do things the same way — that broadens their social skills and their understanding of the world.
Why do so few men choose a career in childcare?
Public perception plays a major role: caring for young children is still strongly associated with women in Dutch culture. Men who do choose to work in childcare often report being asked about their motivations — questions their female colleagues are never asked.
There's also a practical barrier: suspicion. Some parents feel uncomfortable with a male staff member working with young children. That's understandable as a protective instinct, but it makes the profession less appealing for men. At the same time, safety requirements in childcare are strict: every staff member must hold a valid Certificate of Good Conduct (Verklaring Omtrent het Gedrag/VOG) and be registered in the Childcare Personnel Register (Personenregister Kinderopvang). These requirements apply to everyone, regardless of gender. In addition, the so-called "four eyes principle" applies: a childcare professional is never alone with a group of children without another adult being able to see or hear what is happening. This reduces risk and ensures greater transparency and safety.
Industry associations and training programmes are working to broaden the image of the profession, but change is slow. As long as public perception doesn't shift, the share of men in childcare is likely to remain low.
What can you do as a parent with this information?
As a parent, you have little influence over the composition of the team at a daycare center (kinderdagverblijf/KDV) or after-school care (BSO) location. What you can do is pay attention to it during a visit. Ask how the team is made up and whether diversity is something they actively consider — not just in terms of gender, but also in background and working style. A setting that thinks consciously about this typically also has a more considered approach to its overall childcare philosophy.
If you have a specific reason for wanting a setting with a male staff member — for example, because your child has few male role models at home — it's worth asking about this directly at locations near you. Not every setting employs a man, but some organisations actively work towards a mixed team.
Keep in mind that the quality of a childcare professional isn't determined by gender, but by training, commitment, and their approach to child development. A warm, skilled professional will do far more for your child than an unmotivated colleague — regardless of gender.
On Kiddie.nl, you can compare daycare centers (kinderdagverblijf/KDV) and after-school care (BSO) locations near you based on reviews from other parents, and read them per location. You also have access to summaries of — and the full reports from — the Municipal Health Service (GGD) inspections for each childcare location, which assess quality including staffing and childcare philosophy.
