MP Ben Bradley supports funding to get more men into early years teaching

Children and families minister Nadhim Zahawi said he wants more men in nurseries and pre-schools to create male role models for children before they start school.

With men making up only three per cent of early years staff in England, men will be encouraged into careers in nurseries and other childcare settings, in a government-backed project intended to dismantle the stigma around men in early years education.

Mr Zahawi has announced a £30,000 grant for the project run by the Fatherhood Institute, which aims to break down the barriers that dissuade men from starting childcare careers and tackle the myth that men are less suited to caring roles.

In a statement, Mr Bradley announced his support for the project.

He said: "I will always believe in strong families that nurture and support children to succeed, but increasingly so many children don't have that privilege and a lack of male role models in particular can often lead to problems. So I welcome the news that Government has announced funding to encourage more men to consider a career in nurseries and early years settings, in a new project to provide more diverse role models for children before they start school.

"With men making up just 3 percent of early years staff in England, the project aims to break down the barriers that prevent men entering careers in children’s early education, including the myth that men are less suited to caring roles.

"To support careers advisers and early years employers across the country, the project will spearhead a recruitment drive that highlights the positive roles men play in the crucial first years of a child’s education.

"The Fatherhood Institute’s project forms part of the government’s wider efforts to give children the best start in life by strengthening the early years workforce, including the Department’s £20 million Professional Development Programme targeted at better training for early years staff working in more deprived areas."

To assist early years bosses and careers advisers across the UK, the project will start a recruitment drive to highlight the positive role men can play in the first years of a child’s education.

The Fatherhood Institute will provide 'mythbusters', ‘how-to’ guides and other practical resources to support male recruitment into the profession. There will also be online ‘peer support’ for men already working in the sector.