A majority of Australians oppose banning male childcare educators (56%) but parents with a child under five are more likely to support the ban, according to a new DemosAU poll of 1,199 Australians.

Only 24% of Australians agreed males should be banned as childcare educators, but that jumps to 41% for parents with a child under five (42% disagreed). 

Parents with children of childcare age also believe parents have the right to request that male staff do not change nappies (64%) compared to 56% of the overall population.

DemosAU Head of Research George Hasanakos said this extra vigilance shows how worried parents with young children were.

“While the majority of Australians are against banning male childcare educators, for parents with young children who are more likely to come into contact with male educators, we see higher levels of support.

“With the awful cases in the spotlight right now it is not surprising that parents of young children are horrified and want stronger action compared to those without young children.”

Australians with no children or children who had completed schooling were the least likely to support a ban on male educators.

Support for government or NFP owned childcare

The poll also found 86% of Australians believed CCTV should be mandatory in childcare centres, and a majority (54%) agreed childcare centres should be run by governments or community/not for profit groups, not by for profit operators.

A strong majority (72%) believe the childcare sector needs both male and female educators, and 58% agreed the childcare system is generally safe for kids.

Mr Hasanakos said while the ban on male childcare workers was not popular with Australians overall, there was concern about threats to the safety of children.

“The high numbers of people who support CCTV in centres means they are worried about the safety of children,” he said.

The poll also gave Australians the option to explain why they either supported the ban on male educators in centres, or opposed.

“For those against the ban, key themes included the benefits of male and female educators and concerns around gender-based discrimination.

“Those who supported the ban were concerned about abuse and sexual misconduct and the need for preventative measures.”

The DemosAU poll of 1,199 Australians was conducted via internet panel from 5-6 July, 2025. The effective margin of error was +/- 3.6%.

Access the full report for more information.

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