In 2018, a paper co-written by academic Rebecca M. Calisi and ‘a working group of mothers in Science’ lamented the lack of childcare facilities at conferences.
“Primary caretakers of dependent children face inequitable hurdles to fully attending and participating in conference activities because of responsibilities related to pregnancy, breastfeeding, and caretaking,” they wrote about what they termed ‘the childcare-conference conundrum’ in American journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
“It’s a serious problem because it creates a culture of inequity for parents, with mothers generally experiencing greater disadvantages than fathers because of biological, prejudicial, and often socially driven childcare demands.”
So, years on, have things changed at all?
Janthea Brigden founded the UK-based event childcare company Nipperbout over 30 years ago, one of the few mobile creche firms navigating the labyrinthine regulations governing this area in England and Wales.
"We used to do more exhibitions, festivals and corporate events but around 80 per cent of our work now is conferences,” she says. Unions, along with the education and medical sectors, are leading the way."
Nipperbout has worked with the European Society of Cardiology (ESC),the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and the European Association for Cancer Research (EACR) to provide free childcare at their events. The company offers a range of mobile creches for all ages as well as for children with additional needs and even liaise with schools to arrange homework to make up for time missed. It specialises in childcare for conferences linked to disability causes, such as the Spinal Muscular Atrophy UK convention where they offered respite care for parents wanting to connect and learn without being too far from their children.
Brigden says the feedback they receive from delegates is always one of gratitude.
“People tell us they couldn’t have done it without us, particularly single parents; they say we have enabled them to come. She cites the example of the father of a boy with Down’s syndrome who hadn’t considered that his son could be cared for at a conference until he happened to pass an inclusive Nipperbout setting. In an ideal world, Brigden says she would love to see bringing children to congresses normalised.
“I have seen things change a lot – the conference world is catching on to the fact that it enfranchises delegates. They want delegates to come and concentrate fully on the messages and participate. It is very much about being inclusive,” she says.
“It is important that adults can focus on their learning but when you are away from home, it is scary for parents to be away from their children. To know they are just around the corner, and we are next to them, that they are secure with a reputable company, gives people the peace of mind to fully engage with the conference.”
Katherine Griffin, event manager for the UK-based National Education Union, said not having a crèche wasn’t an option:
When a crèche isn’t provided, there are always delegates who are disgruntled and surprised they’ve been effectively excluded from attending.
“Many delegates are excluded from events such as conferences because they are parents. Providing a crèche widens the number of potential attendees and ensures the participation and views of a key section of society isn’t missing from an event.
“The NEU is a union for education professionals and many of our members are parents. It is vital for the democracy of the union that they are involved in decisions that will affect them.”
Tracey Ayton Harding, head of conferences at the public services union UNISON, agrees: “The people represented by UNISON have a crucial role in shaping the union’s campaigning priorities. It’s vital that every year workers in the NHS, schools, town halls, social care and other sectors can gather and share their experiences about key issues in the workplace.
Without childcare facilities, many would be unable to attend or contribute.Having creches at conferences makes perfect sense. They mean more people can participate and those with young children don’t miss out.
Traditionally a male-dominated industry, one of the sectors catching up with the need to provide childcare is tech – and at UK-based Brighton SEO, the world’s largest search marketing conference, childcare has been offered since 2019.
Jo Walters, part of the team behind the event, explains it as ‘an easy way to help more people attend our event’.
We know there are people, particularly women, who struggle to participate in conferences because they can’t arrange suitable or affordable childcare,
“This is a barrier to learning, development and progression that we were able to help with by offering heavily subsidised on-site childcare with professional staff.
“Coupled with other measures like offering scholarships for our training workshops and consciously including a variety of speakers in our line-up, we hope this shows that we want our events to be a friendly and welcoming place for everyone.”
Digital marketing consultant Veronica Ruiz Morillo is one of those who has benefited from this lifeline. “As a mother, having a creche at BrightonSEO is a game-changer,” she says. “The conference lasts all day and requires some travel, which can make it difficult to find suitable childcare arrangements.
“However, with the availability of a creche, I can attend with peace of mind, knowing that my child is well taken care of. I can fully engage with the conference and network with other professionals (and parents!) without worrying about pick-up times. On top of that, I can visit my daughter at any point, so she is not away from me the whole day.
“I hope more conferences implement this service as it can make a huge difference for so many parents.”
Originally published by AMI Magazine