Oh indeed yes, zeo50900!! I have had male and female children as chiefs. The one I have now started when he was 3 years. The kids are as good as the adults, in fact better because they will do kids' jobs like transporting mushrooms and collectibles. They scoot round to the kids' corner like the other children, but they come back faithfully to where you have put them.
With a child chief, you have a good chance of getting a "legendary chief" award.
In the hard version, the child chiefs tend to decide suddenly to leave their job for somehing else, and you have to catch them.
Edited on 10/05/2009 at 1:03:41 AM PST