Daycare Teacher Requirements
Daycare teachers usually care for children between the ages of six weeks and five years. Daycare teachers can work in childcare centers or in home-based, family daycares. While most states have no requirements for people caring for one or two children, for daycare teachers who care for more, there can be local and state licensing and training requirements. To be sure you or your daycare teacher are meeting the proper requirements, follow these steps.
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Instructions
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Get your high school diploma. Although licensing and training requirements will vary by state, most employers will not hire a daycare worker who doesn't have at minimum a high school diploma. If you have not earned a high school diploma consider enrolling in a General Education Development (GED) program that will prepare you to take the GED exam. Passing this exam certifies that you have demonstrated proficiency in high school level academics.
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Contact the governing body of early education in your state. This department of state government will be able to tell you the licensing requirements specific to day care workers in your state. Most states do require, at minimum, that all daycare workers pass a criminal background check and have CPR and first aid certification.
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Rack up your daycare experience. Many daycare employers require that applicants have significant work experience. You can gain childcare experience by babysitting, working as a teacher's aide or by volunteering in a church nursery. Be sure to document all of your work experiences by having your employer write a reference letter.
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Continue your education. Although the laws vary from state to state with regards to continuing education for daycare workers, it's never a bad idea to attend conferences and workshops that can help to enhance your childcare skills. You'll have the added bonus of being able to include your participation in these on your resume.
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Review the job requirements. Although state and local governments may set standards for daycare workers, individual employers can set their standard higher. Many employers will ask for specific credentials, like a degree in early childhood education, even if that is not a state or local requirement for working as a daycare teacher.
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Tips & Warnings
Call around to different daycare centers and ask what requirements their teachers have. This will give you insight to the standards for daycare teachers in your area.
Preschool teachers are classified differently than daycare teachers. Be sure that you aren't using the terms interchangeably when asking for information about state and local licensing.
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Comments
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worked in day care all my life , this I know , and now their saying their asking for a high school deploma, now been in a place working for over a yr now and now the state is saying I can be in a room with kids alone , that's to strange , and not right , I don't think you need a high school deploma to work and take care toddlers a yr old , be different if I was in school then I can see them asking their making more money I can see that but were just child care workers , what do you need a deploma for with that , it isn't fair , and I am really disopointed in our system's here in this state of kans , what do you think please leave you comment, thanks.
