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Published on: 19/11/2021Updated on: 19/11/2021
November 19, 2021, marks the 16th National Childcare Providers' Day, an opportunity to highlight the 288,299[1] professionals who practice this occupation and often lack recognition for their skills. Early childhood centers, local authorities, and non-profit organizations throughout France are organizing conferences, workshops, forums, and numerous other activities. But what exactly is the childcare provider profession? What recognition does it receive? What are its prospects?
A Complex and Fulfilling Occupation
Childcare providers care for children, whether school-age or not, in their own homes or shared childminding facilities (MAM). They contribute to children's emotional, physical, and psychological development and their daily growth from birth until adulthood. Meals, walks, park outings, games, hygiene... activities are carried out in agreement with parent employers within an established care plan."I have been practicing my profession passionately for 10 years and haven't encountered any particular difficulties. I love my work, which brings me value every day. I am very proud of what I do, and the little ones in my care are the ones who help me flourish." Céline, Chafika, and Emilie wouldn't change their profession for anything as it brings them fulfillment and pride. While working conditions and employment terms can sometimes be challenging, they aren't necessarily viewed negatively. The rewards of social utility, human contact, and freedom that multiple employment provides are emphasized.
However, 85.8%[2] of childcare providers (and childminders) identify a lack of recognition as a professional risk.
A Real Profession!
While the childcare provider profession has officially existed since 1977, it wasn't really structured until 2005 through legislation and the implementation of a national collective agreement. As it's a domestic sphere occupation -- even though shared childminding facilities have grown since their institutionalization in 2010 -- previously often practiced by women at home and associated with "feminine skills," social perceptions remain deeply rooted.
Society's view of the profession is evolving as childcare providers become more aware of their "professional identity." Gradually, they're moving away from the traditional "nanny" image through training and certification, real drivers of professional recognition. "We've evolved from 'nanny' to certified childcare provider with training and skills," explains Chafika, a childcare provider holding the "Childcare Provider/Childminder" qualification. These include professional skills in early learning, nutrition, motor development, child brain development, and transversal skills like autonomy, adaptability, communication...
In 2020, IPERIA, the national platform for domestic work professionalization, supported 51,080[3] training projects initiated by childcare providers, despite the health crisis, a 74% increase over 5 years. For some, it's a plus for developing their activity; for others, providing appropriate responses to increasingly specific family and child needs is necessary. Childcare providers can develop and validate increasingly in-demand skills through training and certification. This makes them more "attractive" in the market, as explained by José, a childcare provider who completed the "Communicate with Words and Signs" training course: "Currently, I know one of the first questions from parent employers is 'do you use sign language?', so having completed this professional development course is a real advantage."
An Essential Yet Endangered Profession
The forward-looking study conducted by the professional branches of the individual employer sector, supported by DGEFP and coordinated by IPERIA, revealed that 700,000 positions must be filled in the industry by 2030. For childcare providers, replacement needs due to retirements, already noticeable today, will be significant during this decade. Indeed, 151,800, or 48% of current staff, will retire by 2030. Additionally, the need for additional employment will emerge between 2030 and 2040 to absorb the new birth rate dynamics projected for this period. In total, 14,500 additional full-time equivalent positions will be needed to care for children under 3 years old.
With the health crisis, pressure on these jobs is growing: "I notice that many of my colleagues have either changed careers or stopped before their retirement date," regrets Chafika. "This is due to the current situation because many found themselves partially unemployed, with reduced salaries, and their spouse's remote work proved incompatible with caring for children at home all day."Moreover, like other occupations in the individual employment and domestic work sector, the childcare provider profession is not attractive to younger generations. "The new generation wants an immediate diploma for high pay, unlike childcare providers who train for several years to become certified and earn a salary commensurate with their daily responsibilities," explains Chafika.
Is Skills Certification the Solution?
Faced with this looming workforce shortage, could certification be a solution? Chafika is convinced. According to her, an employer will always choose a certified childcare provider if given the choice. This aligns with IPERIA's commitment, having issued more than 150,000 certifications to sector employees since 1994.The childcare provider profession offers career development prospects, as professional paths are no longer linear today. Beyond the "Childcare Provider/Childminder" qualification that guarantees mastery of skills necessary for the profession, IPERIA has created other certifications allowing childcare providers to develop their activity, for example, by getting involved in a shared childminding facility through the Professional Qualification Certificate "Working in Shared Childminding Facilities," or by being able to support children with autism spectrum disorders or disabilities. This provides childcare providers with ways to enhance their employability and assures parent employers of quality care adapted to their child's needs.
Furthermore, certification pathways are multiplying in the sector to open qualifications to increasingly diverse audiences, particularly young people. After training, full RPL and block-based RPL now become work-study programs, which will be established in 2022 by creating a sector-specific apprenticeship training center.
Throughout the year, IPERIA engages with its partners in observing the profession and societal changes, guiding career paths, and supporting training and certification projects to enhance the childcare provider profession and the skills of those who practice it. For this professionalization approach initiated by childcare providers themselves, and because they are the primary actors in gaining recognition for their profession, this day dedicated to them is an opportunity to say "congratulations!"
[1] Source: Annual Report of the Individual Employment and Domestic Work Sector -- 2021 Edition, FEPEM Observatory of Family Employment
[2] Source : "Prospective study of professional branches of childcare providers and domestic employees: meeting employment, occupation and skills challenges by 2030", directed by Eva Barachino and Nadège Turco, IPERIA, Paris, 2021
[3] Source : Review of the professionalization policy for the individual employment and domestic work sector 2020
