Duties of a Day Care Worker

Child care workers spend a lot of time with young children.

There are many types of workers that keep a day care center running smoothly. Teachers and teacher's assistants do the teaching. They create projects and organize playtime and the classroom. Administrators make sure everything runs smoothly. Cooks provide the meals and snacks for the children. The duties of a day care worker can vary from place to place, but the core duties are routine at most day care centers.

Circle Time

Most teachers at a day care center begin the day with a group activity. They lead circle time and may teach about the calendar and days of the week. They may discuss the weather and talk about the types of clothes worn during the seasons. They might teach finger plays, poems or spend time reading a story. Some day care centers have the staff lead their young charges in the pledge of allegiance.

Lunch and Snacks

The teacher's assistant or aide might take the class to the dining room for lunch and snacks, or she might serve the meals in the classroom. Most day care centers employ cooks to prepare the meals and snacks, but the other workers sometimes take turns cooking for the center. The teachers or teacher's aides will supervise the meals and snacks, and might be expected to multitask by reading to the children during the meal, cutting out art activities, or cleaning up as the meal progresses.

Outdoor Playtime

The teacher will take the children outdoors for playtime. He may need to prepare the children for the weather by putting on hats, coats and gloves during the winter, or by offering shade, rest and drinks during the summer.

Field Trips

Teachers and aides will need to supervise and keep the children safe when taking the group on field trips or outings.They will need to make sure the children are all in proper child safety seats or seat belt restraints for the trip. They will also need to do frequent head counts to be sure no one wanders off.

Cleaning and Organizing

Most day care centers employ janitorial staff to clean the classroom and the bathrooms the children use. The janitor might sanitize the toys and tables, and organize the room for the next day. Teachers will gather and lay out materials for the next day's projects. If a child gets sick, the janitor will need to clean up the mess while the teacher takes care of him until a parent arrives.

Naptime

The teacher and aides will be responsible for getting the children down for a rest period. Some staff members read stories during this time, some play soothing music to help the children settle down and others will use the time to work quietly on projects for later activities.

Patience

In all job positions, day care workers will need to use patience while dealing with multiple children and various personality types. They will need to act quickly in an emergency situation.

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Child Care Workers