March 23, 2015
by Marcus Priaulx
Barambah PaCE
Jeffrey Dynevor is on a mission to get more men working in day care.
The qualified painter has just earned his Diploma in Early at Childhood at TAFE after working at Gundoo Child Care Centre for the past six years.
He is now a group leader at the Cherbourg centre and thinks his job is deadly.
“We show the children love and they give us love,” Jeffrey said.
“We give them joy and make them happy.”
He is now hosting a 10:00am yarning session for men on Monday, March 30 so they can learn how Gundoo workers prepare children for the future.
“We’re here to teach them and get them ready for school,” Jeffrey said.
“It’s day care but it’s also an early learning centre.”
Jeffrey believed the children of today needed more positive male role models.
“These little ones see a male in the room and it’s different for them,” Jeffrey said.
“They normally see ladies in the workplace all the time.”
It’s also the same at schools. whose workforces are dominated by women.
Many single parent families also lack a male presence.
“We need more men,” Jeffrey said, and added he hoped the upcoming yarning session might have them consider childcare as a career, or understand how children can learn at home.
“It doesn’t matter where you’re from. Any man can come, Indigenous or non-Indigenous, young or old.
“They can bring their experience and their knowledge to the centre.
“It’s about bringing in male role models for the children and helping their learning so they can have a better life.”
If the yarning session is a success, Jeffrey would like to make it a monthly event.
To find out more. phone Gundoo Day Care Centre on (07) 4168 2832.
