In families, both parents often need to work so that they can afford to pay bills and support their children. For this reason, they look to child care facilities to help watch their kids so they can go to work and trust that their child is going to be safe. Today, daycares are much more than just a place that you send your child to be babysat.

Today’s day care has a curriculum set up, just like other schools in their district. As a result, there is a variety of staff that is necessary to make sure things are run smoothly and efficiently. The staff has teachers, assistant teachers, as well as other positions that help out with operations. They are all necessary people to keep the day care running.

This means that there are a lot of options for people of different skills. Depending on your field of interest, you can find something for you here. Teachers have other staff members that work under them that will assist in lessons or take care of things like changing diapers. There can be something for everyone in this industry.

This field can hold a rewarding and fun career for you, especially if you love working with kids.

Job Opportunities

Here are some employment opportunities that you can find within this industry:

Day care Teacher: The difficult task for a day care teacher is trying to find a way to incorporate play into learning. They create and implement lesson plans as one would in an elementary school would, even for ones that are infants. Their primary responsibility is to educate the kids in their class. They will ensure that students are fed, and diapers are changed if necessary. The teacher will observe the kids and make note of any potential developmental delays. If they notice a delay, the teacher is responsible for informing the child’s parents of the potential delay. This is so that the parent can look into any interventions that might be necessary. Working with a classroom of young children is both a physically and emotionally demanding job. It is difficult work. This person will manage any assistants or other staff members that work in their classroom to ensure everyone is on the same page for the lesson plan and behavioral expectations. They are in charge of handling most of the behavior problems within the classroom. To be a day care teacher, you must have at least a high school diploma. Although it is not required, it is often preferred that the applicant has a college degree in early education or some related field. Depending on the state, there are different certifications and licenses that will be required. A teacher can earn around $27,000 a year.

Assistant Teachers: These are the right hand people for the classroom teacher. They are in charge of helping their lead with the children in the classroom. They will observe the students, watching for bad behavior, as well as looking to see if a child is having difficulty and needs additional assistance. They help the teacher when planning the lessons, and follow instructions to keep everyone on track. They assist by creating smaller groups for play time to give the children a more personalized experience. The assistant will clean the classroom, and is often the one taking care of things like changing diapers. They help feed the students and monitor the classroom if the teacher needs to leave it. It is necessary that you have a high school diploma for this position. You will have to have a background check done, and will need to obtain necessary certifications. An assistant teacher can earn around $20,000 a year.

Cook: At larger facilities, there is a cafeteria where students can eat at for their food. A cook will prepare the foods for children. They must keep in mind the nutritional needs and be aware of any allergies a child might have for their safety. They will order food and supplies for the cafeteria. They will need to ensure that the kitchen is clean and organized at all times, as well as clean up the cafeteria after the children have left. This position requires a lot of standing and might require heavy lifting. They need to make sure that they have food prepared for any snack time or meal time at the scheduled time frame. The cook must be friendly with the children. There is no educational requirement for this position. The cook will need to pass a background check in order to work with the children. A cook can make around $10 per hour.

Child Care Director: The director is primarily responsible for running the daily administrative duties of the facility. They manage the staff to ensure everyone is working to the expectations of the company. They will hire and train new employees, as well as discipline and firing employees as necessary. They check the staff’s curriculum to ensure it follows their state’s standards. The director meets with potential students and families to help them decide if the center is right for them. They will answer any questions the parents might have to make them comfortable with trusting the center with their child. They ensure that the entire staff has all necessary certifications and licenses. The director must make sure that the facility meets government standings, if they receive money from the government to run their facility. The director will deal with bad behavior of students and speak to parents about the behaviors. To be a director, you will need to have a college degree in early education. They must obtain all the necessary certifications and licenses as required by their state. They often work their way up from a teacher’s position. A director can earn around $40,000 a year.

Job Outlook

The job growth in this field is estimated to be at around 14%. This is a little higher than the 11% average growth seen in other industries. This can be because of a high turnover rate in the lower level positions, as they often move onto other related careers in another industry. This can also be as a result of an increasing need for this industry.