FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bryan G. Nelson

MenTeach
P.O. Box 6778
Minneapolis, MN 55406-0778
(612) 724-3430
www.MenTeach.org
bgnelson@post.harvard.edu

Men who change diapers, change the world!
Meet the real daddys in daycare.

Minneapolis, MN, May 9, 2003 - In the recently released movie, "Daddy Day Care," Eddie Murphy takes a comic look at men caring for young children. The real men who work in "daddy day care" say helping young children learn and grow brings challenges, but also a lot of benefits.

"Money and power are great when you can't get a roof over your head, but after that they're a poor substitute for love and a real stake in the future," says John Suur who worked for 24 years as a lawyer at the International Monetary Fund. When he retired, he knew he wanted to do something different. So he started working with toddlers and preschoolers. "When I worked at the International Monetary Fund I was locked up in a cerebral world of numbers and policies that seemed to have little to do with the reality of people and what's inside us. Children teach me about living in the moment, being keenly observant, keeping an open mind about what's happening around me, and learning to express all my feelings in a way that is honest and productive."

Anthony Hines worked sixteen-hour days for Ford Motor Company. "I wanted to be in my children's lives. I remember thinking that I didn't even know my kids. That wasn't the reason we had kids. One day, I woke up and decided to turn in my resignation. My wife didn't believe me. I had enough saved and after a few months with my kids, I decided I wanted to work at home." Hines put an advertisement in the newspaper about a dad in daycare. It was a slow start. "People were surprised to see an African-American man caring for children. But after I got my first family enrolled, I haven't had any problems since. I really want to be there for the kids. They really look up to me and it's a great feeling."

Suur and Hines are just two of the real men who work in "daddy day care." Bryan G. Nelson, director of MenTeach, a national nonprofit organization that serves as a clearinghouse for research, education and advocacy with a commitment to increase the number of men teaching young children in early and elementary education, says there are a number of reasons why there aren't more men in the field. "According to our research, there are three main challenges men face. The first is stereotypes. People mistakenly assume that men are not nurturing. The second is the low wages and low status of the work. Despite the high levels of education, the profession isn't considered real work and caregivers are paid less than dogcatchers. And third is the fear of accusation of abuse. This last is driven by myth. Children are more likely to be harmed in their own home than in a child care program. These are some of the reasons why so few men are teaching young children." He goes on to say, "If men can be surgeons, astronauts, and firefighters, they certainly have the ability to nurture children. And more importantly, children benefit tremendously from having caring and supportive men in their daily lives."

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 4% of the teachers in child care (and 1.3% of those in family daycare) are men. These findings and others are available in the recently released report, The Importance of Men Teachers, And Why There Are So Few available at www.MenTeach.org. Both men and women were interviewed about the reasons men do not work with young children. The three key points are: 1) Men are nurturing and can provide quality care for young children; 2) Wages and working conditions need to improve for all the people who care for our children; and, 3) Children benefit from having men in their lives.

To download a copy of the report contact Bryan G. Nelson.

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To interview men who teach children
in your city or region contact
Bryan G. Nelson at (612) 724-3430 or
bgnelson@post.harvard.edu.

For other information about early education
visit the National Association for the Education
of Young Children at www.NAEYC.org.