How to Be a Successful Child Care Director

Running a day care center requires you to undertake many responsibilities.

Running a child care center is a challenging job because you are responsible for the safety and well-being of the children under your care. In addition, parents expect their children to be educated and nurtured at daycare, which makes it necessary for you to hire the right staff to work for you. Running the business end of your child care center also falls on your shoulders. Being organized and able to delegate tasks make your job easier and helps you run a successful center that parents and children want to be a part of.

Instructions

1. Hire the right staff. Look for people who love working with children and will spend their time on the clock playing with them, nurturing them and encouraging them to learn and grow. It is important to hire the right number of staff. Check with your state's child care guidelines about the ratio of children to adults, which will help you determine how many staff members you need.

2. Provide plenty of entertainment. Stock your child care center with a variety of toys, games, art projects and outdoor play equipment. These items will allow children to enjoy their time at daycare while also learning and developing. Choose items for all the age groups that attend your center. Educational and developmental toys are available at many toy stores as well as teacher supply stores.

3. Create a child-friendly atmosphere. Hang colorful artwork on the walls, paint the center bright colors and provide child-sized furniture. This makes it more enjoyable for the children to spend the day at the center and engages them visually.

4. Engage the children and parents. Be friendly and approachable so that the children and parents who use the center feel they can talk with you about problems or concerns. Greet them appropriately and have conversations that allow you to make a connection with families.

5. Stay up to date on guidelines and licenses. Follow the laws of the state you reside in. This means staying current on your child care license, following all restrictions regarding appropriate discipline, feeding, teaching and the number of children you care for. Failing to do so could result in being unable to keep your child care center open. If you are allowed to re-open, it may be difficult to find parents who are willing to trust you to care for their children.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have never run a child care center before, you may have to take special classes. Look for them online or at your local community college.

References

• Job Profiles: Day Care Director
• Care for Kids: How to Manage Issues With Your Child Care Centre
• Baby Center: How to Find Good Daycare
• Solutions Provider Support: How to Run a Successful Child Care Business