Child Care Worker

Child care workers, also called child care providers, may have various job titles, but each position deals specifically with the caring and nurturing of children.

Professionals in this field are day-care teachers, preschool teachers, infant teachers, teacher's aides, nannies or Au Pairs, after- and before-school teachers and child care counselors. They may be employed by a single family-employer, through a school or organization, by a day care facility, an industry or corporate site, or in a home day care.

Child care workers are expected to have earned a minimum of twelve college-based units in Early Childhood Education to be hired for an entry-level position, e.g.: as a Teacher's Associate or Teacher's Aide. Most accredited child care facilities base their hiring upon the Matrix method. This is a graph that explains by units, education and experience what category an individual falls under: Director; Master Teacher; Associate Teacher; Teacher's Aide.

Each state has its own requirement for employment, ranging from holding a high school diploma to being certified. Some employers prefer to hire child care workers who have earned a nationally recognized Child Development Associate (CDA) credential or the Certified Childcare Professional (CCP) designation from the Council for Professional Recognition and the National Child Care Association, respectively.

All schools mandate child care workers to be CPR certified, trained in First Aid, fingerprinted and TB tested. Some sites or schools may have their employees pass a physical before being hired due to the strenuous physical demands of their job.

The majority of child care workers are credentialed or certified. Most have obtained a bachelor's or master's in Child Development or may have acquired Teaching Permits in the following: Preschool Teacher; Master Teacher; or Early Childhood Educator. Most child care workers continue to earn credits by attending seminars and taking courses in new methodologies and training.

The opportunity for advancement to supervisory or administrative positions in large child care centers or preschools requires a bachelor's or master's degree. Individuals may transition into resource specialist positions or work for referral child service agencies. Select professionals in this field have also become involved in policy or advocacy work related to child care and early childhood education.

Child care workers spend the majority of their work day nurturing, supervising and teaching young children. Professionals generally are classified into four specific groups based on their work location:

Private household workers or nannies: Individuals who care for children from one family and work from that family's home.

Home-run child care providers: Individuals who care for children in a home-run day care under one provider.

Child care workers or day care teachers: Individuals that are employed at a child care center, facility or school.

Preschool teachers: Individuals that teach children in a "classroom" environment.

Experts recognize that children learn developmentally through play. By capitalizing on this directive, child care workers organize activities and build curricula to further language development; stimulate physical, emotional, and intellectual growth; improve social skills; and, introduce scientific and mathematical concepts.

Many child care facilities have their employees document daily children's behavioral patterns, i.e., progress and needs. Child care workers may also be expected to conduct both formal and informal parent-teacher meetings, along with conducting formal student assessments.

Trained individuals employed in before- and after-school programs may help students with their homework or engage them in other extracurricular activities that may include: field trips; organized outdoor play; or classes teaching computer skills, painting, or photography. Before- and after-school programs may be operated by public school systems, local community centers, or other private organizations.

Child care workers ensure that children have proper rest periods and teach healthy eating habits. Individuals also watch for children who show signs of social-emotional or developmental problems. Early identification of children with special needs--such as those with behavioral, emotional, physical, or learning disabilities -has created the importance for specialized training for care-givers.

The Child Care industry is a service-oriented profession that demands stamina and patience from its workers. Employees must have a deep passion for the education and nurturing of children to succeed in this highly stressful work environment. Individuals must be able to anticipate and prevent problems, be constantly alert, deal with disruptive children and mercurial parents, provide fair but firm discipline, and be enthusiastic. They must be able to communicate effectively with co-workers, administration, parents and children. Skills in music, art, drama, and storytelling also are important.

With our nation's push towards Universal Preschool, the requirement to have both applicable experience and education have become the qualifications for even entry level employment. This requirement to be credentialed and certified has created the pressure for child care workers to obtain either a Preschool Permit or an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education to be seriously considered for hire, or to transition into higher paying positions.

What is Universal Preschool?
There is a growing recognition across the nation of the importance of high-quality preschool in preparing children for success in elementary school, increasing the need for qualified, experienced and passionate child care workers.

The Preschool for All: A First-Class Learning Initiative states that preschools must be of high quality and readily available to all families. Kindergarten has become focused on academic goals that preschools now need to strengthen their efforts to help young children-specifically preparing three- and four-year olds--to gain the skills they need to succeed in school through developmentally appropriate ways.

The income of a child care worker depends on both education--certification and licensure--and the school site. Whether public, private, non-profit or government run, a director has the option to determine the pay scale of the employee. Secondary education and a master's degree equates to a higher income in this field. The median annual earnings compiled for child care workers were $17,630 in May 2006.

Mark Ginsberg, PhD is the executive director of NAEYC, the National Association for the Education of Young Children. This association accredits school programs for preschool aged children.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is one of the leading organizations in the field of Early Childhood Education. NAEYC-accredited school programs follow strict guidelines in caring and educating the children enrolled in their site. This includes academic requirements for staff to curriculum building.

Many companies in Industry have contracted various child care centers to grant their employees the option of child care in their benefit packages. Bright Horizons and Childrens' Creative Learning Centers (CCLC) are two such corporate child care organizations that work onsite company campuses.

Head Start is our country's longest-running federally funded child care organization that deals primarily with children that come from disadvantaged and low socio-economic backgrounds.

The top city in the United States for child care workers jobs is Phoenix, Arizona. In second place is Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Chicago, Illinois in third place for child care worker jobs in the United States.