‘Fear, discomfort and frustration’: Male NSW childcare workers react to man bans

Male early childhood educators in NSW say horrific sexual abuse claims, and kneejerk restrictions enacted by operators, are “the straw that broke the camel’s back” to quit their jobs for good.

NSW-based early childhood teachers like Nick Stephens (pictured) are pushing back against suggestions of a daycare 'man ban'. Picture: Justin Lloyd

Male early childhood educators are “devastated” at calls for them to be banned from the childcare industry after high profile allegations of sexual abuse rocked the sector, as operators move to give parents the power to choose which workers can change their child’s nappy.

Multiple male working in NSW have revealed the impact that the horrific alleged sexual abuse of multiple children in Victoria has had on their own careers, and those of colleagues too afraid to speak out.

Melbourne childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown was charged earlier this month with more than 70 alleged offences against children in his care, and hundreds of families were urged to have their kids tested for sexually transmitted diseases.

Queensland childcare pedophile Ashley Paul Griffith last year pleaded guilty to more than 300 offences against female wards, and was sentenced to at least 27 years behind bars.

Ramesh Shrestha runs an online support group for male early childhood educators with over 460 members, more than 100 of whom have joined in the past fortnight alone.

Ramesh Shrestha runs an online support group for male early childhood educators. Picture: Supplied

Mr Shrestha said the sudden growth reflects the “fear, discomfort and frustration” felt by the male workforce amid an outpouring of anger from parents and the Australian public.

“87 per cent (of our members) say they haven’t received the support they need from service leaders,” he said.

Charges laid against Victorian worker and alleged paedophile Joshua Dale Brown (pictured) have sparked a reckoning in the childcare sector.

“We even had one guy say ‘I’m on my 19th year and I’m not sure I’ll make it to my 20th’.”

Blue Mountains-based educator Jacob Moriarty said he had been fortunate to receive support from colleagues and families at his own workplace.

“(Restricting men from nappy-changing) is complete pigs**t … you’re forcing it to be a woman’s job, the messy baby work – it’s a ridiculous notion.”

Father of three Joshua Reed works at a childcare service in the Hunter, and said while his centre director has backed him up, the public calls for men to be banned have been “absolutely devastating”.

Joshua Reed, an early childhood educator in the Hunter region, has shared his experience being in the minority as a male in the childcare sector.

“I’ve been quite lucky compared to some people that I do know, who have been ridiculed out in public with their uniforms on – even at the supermarket,” he said.

Mr Reed said while the sector must change to improve child safety, including through improvements to child-to-educator ratios, maligning male educators is not the solution.

“Child safety is a management and administrative issue, not a gender issue,” he said.

Abuse victim-survivor and advocate Louise Edmonds is among those leading calls to restrict men’s roles in childcare settings and some parents have created online petitions calling for outright bans.

Goodstart Early Learning, KU Children’s Services, Only About Children and the Department of Education, which together account for nearly 360 long day care centres and preschools in NSW, have all confirmed they place no restrictions on male staff and have no plans to do so.

Only About Children is one of several major childcare operators to shun the notion of restricting male employees’ duties. Picture: Julian Andrews

However G8 Education, which operates 113 centres in NSW, has introduced a new policy in recent weeks allowing parents to choose who changes their child’s nappy.

The company declined to explicitly confirm whether this includes restricting male educators from doing so, if requested by a parent.

Affinity Education Group has offered a similar option “seeking parental preference” from families enrolled at its 101 NSW centres.

Nick Stephens, a Sydney-based early childhood teacher, has spoken out about the positive role men have in the sector. Picture: Justin Lloyd

Western Sydney educator Nick Stephens considers himself “lucky” to be one of the very few men in childcare to have a male colleague at his centre in Mt Druitt – his first experience working directly with another man in his nine years in the sector.

The 32-year-old has been inundated with messages from men with “really sad” stories, and said for many of them the Joshua Brown allegations were “the straw that broke the camel’s back” to quit their jobs for good.

“Men have a unique way of working with children,” Mr Stephens said.

“They’re desperately short of fathers in Mt Druitt … and for a lot of the boys you’re their substitute dad.”

According to the 2024 national workforce census there are more than 20,300 men working in early childhood education and care across Australia, accounting for less than eight per cent of the total workforce.