Careers as a Daycare Provider

Daycare provider careers offer opportunities to nurture children while earning a living.

Parents rely on daycare providers to care for their children during working hours. According to the Kids Health website, 70% of parents utilize daycare for their children. With so many parents making use of daycare services, a definite demand exists for daycare providers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics website, analysts expect daycare provider careers to experience healthy growth from 2008 through 2018.

Identification

Daycare providers care and supervise children younger than school age. They often care for older children during after school hours. Day care providers oversee the social development, feeding and physical care of these young children. Those interested in a daycare provider career need to possess patience, enthusiasm, problem resolution skills, and effective communications skills for both parents and children. Organizational skills are essential, as daycare providers keep and maintain records of child behavior and create educational plans.

Types

Daycare providers work in three categories, based on the work setting. Daycare providers work in private households, their own individual care locations or a daycare facility. Daycare providers employed by parents in private homes may be called babysitters or even nannies. Their duties include care of the children and additional housekeeping duties, in some cases. Some daycare providers employ themselves, functioning as entrepreneurs while providing child care services in their own private residences. Facility based daycare providers may work in organizations such as Head Start and early childhood based educational programs.

Pay

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median hourly salary of a daycare provider was $9.12 as of May 2008. The salary of the top 10% of daycare providers was more than $13.98 per hour. Those employed by daycare facilities often receive medical insurance and other benefits like vacation and sick time.

Training

Individual states regulate daycare providers and maintain various licensing criteria. Consult the governing agency in the state in which you want to become licensed for specific requirements. Common requirements for daycare provider licenses includes immunizations, successful background screenings, and meeting the standards set by the agency granting the license.

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Child Care Workers
• Kids Health: Choosing Child Care