It's the Brian Lairn Show on WNYC.

I'm producer Amina Serna, filling in for Brian today.

Good morning again, everyone.

Solving the problem of the high cost and low access to early childhood education opportunities

is playing a big role in the mayor's race.

But it's not just about opening more centers if you can't find qualified educators to work

there.

There's a big shortage of workers in early childhood education, and no doubt,

low pay is a leading cause of that. But my next guest explores another avenue to improve the situation.

Hire more men. Rachel Booth, a policy correspondent at Vox.com, covering social policies,

has a new piece on the site titled, A Solution to

the Child Care Shortage is Hiding in Plain Site. She's here to talk about the cultural barriers

that discourage men from seeking work in the field and employers from hiring them and what

could change the situation. Welcome back to the show, Rachel Booth. Thank you. Thank you so much for having me.

And listeners, especially men and women who work in early childhood education or parents with kids

in daycare, if you want to share your thoughts on what would bring more men to the field,

what advantages have you found? Is this a career you'd recommend to young men?

Call or text us at 212-433 W-N-YC. That's 212-433-9-6-9-2. And we can hear calls from stay-at-home

dads too. Are you viewed with more suspicion or has that role become

more accepted? Call or text 212-433 WNYC. That's 212-433-9692.

Rachel, how dire is the shortage of early childhood workers?

Well, it is a struggle for centers and programs all across the country.

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