Interview Tips for a Day Care Preschool Assistant

Day care assistants must put the needs of children first.

Child care centers need qualified, competent employees who deal well with caring for young children. Not everyone is a good fit for the position. Child care workers must be patient with children, because they can be quite active. Workers also must be able to handle emergencies with rationality and take appropriate action in a calm manner. Ask a wide array of relevant questions before offering employment to potential preschool assistants.

Interest in Children

Because child care can be difficult work, providers and assistants should be committed to working with young children. Ask the potential assistant about her reasons for wanting to work with young children at your facility.

Discipline Procedures

Disciplining children is limited not only by law, but also by the parent's specific instructions. Ask the interview subject about his experience with disciplining children who are impatient or who have committed a major or minor infraction. Ask what general limits should apply to disciplining children.

Emergency Procedures

See if the interviewee has had to deal with emergencies. Ask how she dealt with the situation. Was she quick-thinking and calm, and thus able to take appropriate action? You might want to present a hypothetical situation, such as one in which a child will not stop crying profusely. How would the assistant deal with this? Would she notify a supervisor? Call a parent?

Child Care Background

Inquire about the applicant's background in child care. Has he worked in day care before? If so, what were some of the challenges he encountered? As with any profession, the more experience a worker has in the field, the better prepared he will be to perform his duties successfully.

Personality Fit

Explore the applicant's personality fit for the position. Patience is a critical characteristic for working with young children. Pose a hypothetical situation, such as her response to continuous pestering by a young child. Ask how she would respond.

References

• Child Care Lounge: Interview Questions