Understanding Unconscious Bias In Childcare And Why It Matters More Than You Think

At Pro Nannies, we believe childcare isn’t just a service but a relationship built on empathy, respect, and genuine understanding. However even with the best of intentions, bias can quietly influence how we connect, discipline, teach, and respond to children and families. That’s why it’s so important to understand unconscious bias — what it is, how it shows up, and what we can do about it.

What Is Unconscious Bias?

Unconscious (or implicit) bias refers to the attitudes or stereotypes we hold that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner. Everyone has them, they are mental shortcuts our brains create to make quick decisions. But in childcare, those shortcuts can truly have a lasting and damaging impact.

For instance, studies show that adults often perceive Black children as older and less innocent than their peers, a phenomenon known as adultification bias (Epstein et al., 2017, Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality). Even subtle behaviours like addressing boys more assertively or expecting girls to be more emotionally expressive can shape a child's self-image and sense of safety.

Unconscious bias refers to automatic assumptions, stereotypes, or attitudes that we hold without being aware of them. These biases affect how we perceive and interact with others, often based on characteristics like race, gender, age, socioeconomic status, appearance, or ability.

Everyone has unconscious biases. They are shaped by our upbringing, culture, media exposure, and personal experiences. While unintentional, these biases can influence decision-making, communication, and behaviour, especially in environments like the workplace, education, or childcare.

How Bias Impacts Nannying

In one of our most candid episodes of Pro Nannies Playdate, hosts Layla and Rée shared stories from their own experiences. The microaggressions, assumptions, and awkward silences they’ve navigated as Black British nannies. Bias shows up in interviews (“Where are you really from?”), in household dynamics (“Have you used a dishwasher before?”), and in professional expectations (“You’re so articulate!” — as if it’s surprising).

These moments are not always malicious, but they accumulate. They impact how safe a nanny can feel at work. They not only affect trust, but connection, and well-being too. Bias also affects how nannies themselves may treat children, especially when working across cultural or racial lines. It’s important to question assumptions because in the context of nannying and childcare, unconscious bias can impact:

• How children are spoken to or disciplined

• Which children receive more praise or attention

• How families perceive or evaluate nannies

• How nannies experience their role and are treated by employers

What We Can Do Personally and Professionally

1. Educate Ourselves: Use tools like the Harvard Implicit Association Test to explore your own biases. Follow inclusive parenting and education accounts. Read widely. Books like Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum are a powerful place to start.

2. Create Feedback-Friendly Environments: At Pro Nannies, we encourage open dialogue between families and nannies. Addressing bias requires courage and compassion. Ask: How can we support each other in seeing and unlearning harmful patterns?

3. Reflect on Representation: Do the books, toys, dolls, and media children engage with reflect a range of skin tones, cultures, abilities, and family structures? Children notice what we do and don’t normalise.

4. Stay Curious, Not Defensive: If someone flags something you said or did, resist the urge to shut down or explain it away. Instead, ask: How can I learn from this?

5. Partner with Like-Minded Organisations: Pro Nannies is committed to building a diverse network of nannies and families who want more than just ‘help’. They want intentional care rooted in empathy and awareness.

   
   

At Pro Nannies, we’re for nannies and that means creating an industry where every professional feels safe, seen, and supported. We’re also for families and that means ensuring the next generation grows up with caregivers who model fairness, kindness, and awareness.

Let’s not just do childcare — let’s change it.