Nature of the Work:
Nurturing young children is the job of childcare workers, who look after youngsters whose parents are at work or cannot be with them for other reasons. Job duties vary according to the ages of the children. Workers who care for infants follow a basic routine, feeding, diapering, comforting, and playing and talking with the children. Those who work with preschool children attend to basic needs and, in addition, organize activities that stimulate the children's physical, emotional, intellectual, and social growth.
Childcare workers work in daycare centers or in their own homes. They greet children as they arrive, help them remove outer garments, and teach them how to dress and undress. They may organize and direct indoor and outdoor games. They plan activities which provide exercise and teach children to get along with one another. They also select activities that encourage self-expression and development of arts and crafts, musical, and language skills. These may include painting and drawing, working with clay and wood, singing, reading, and storytelling.
Keeping children healthy is an important part of the job. Childcare workers serve nutritious meals and snacks and use these as an opportunity to teach good eating habits and responsibility for cleaning up. They see to it that children have proper rest periods. They spot children who may be getting sick or showing signs of emotional or developmental problems and bring these to the parents' attention.
Job duties and the amount of supervision a worker receives vary with the work setting. In large daycare centers, each worker is in charge of a group of children under the supervision of a director, who lays out specific objectives and activities. Although the childcare worker may offer suggestions, overall responsibility for program development rests with the director, who also handles marketing, budgeting, staffing, and other administrative duties.
Job duties are more varied, and the work setting more informal, for childcare workers who care for a few children in their own homes. Generally known as family daycare providers, these workers are subject to State licensing requirements that regulate the number of children one worker may care for and the environment in which care is provided.
Family daycare providers devise activities for the children in their care, prepare meals and snacks, and ensure that' both indoor and outdoor spaces are safe and clean. In addition to their childcare duties, they are responsible for all aspects of running a small business: Marketing, interviewing prospective clients, obtaining and renewing a license, purchasing supplies, keeping records, and handling finances. They are generally self-employed.
Working Conditions:
Childcare facilities can range from a single poorly furnished room to a large, beautifully equipped building. Some facilities accommodate a few children, others a hundred or more. Childcare centers may be in private homes, churches, schools, workplaces where employers provide care for employees' children, or buildings used exclusively for childcare.
Childcare centers are open year round. Many are open 12 hours a day. Full-time staff workers usually have 8-hour shifts. However, many work part time or have staggered hours. Family daycare providers who have young children of their own can earn money without having to leave them. They have flexibility in their hours of work and in daily routine, but may work long hours to fit parents' work schedules. Since they work at home, they can also handle some housekeeping responsibilities.
Childcare workers spend much of their time standing, walking, bending, stooping, and lifting. They must be constantly alert, anticipate and prevent trouble, deal with disruptive children, and provide fair but firm discipline. This can be physically and emotionally taxing. The work is demanding and sometimes hectic and requires a great deal of physical stamina and patience. Rewards, on the other hand, come from seeing young children blossom and grow under their care.
Employment:
About two-thirds of childcare workers are self-employed. Most of these are family daycare providers who take care of children in their own homes, the rest work in daycare centers sponsored by a variety of organizations. Many centers are for-profit operations, affiliated in some instances with a local or national chain. Others are run by churches, synagogues, com-munity agencies, school systems, and State and local governments. A small number are operated by business firms for the children of their employees.
Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement:
Entry level positions generally require little or no experience. Although there are no specific educational requirements, employers prefer individuals with a high school diploma. Some employers provide on-the-job training by an experienced worker.
High school students who plan to work with small children should take courses in child development, psychology, sociology, home economics, and nutrition. Courses in art, music, drama, and physical education also provide good preparation. Volunteer or paid babysitting is helpful.
Formal training or certification is desirable in some jobs and is recommended for advancement. Many colleges offer programs in childcare, early childhood education, child and family studies, and pre-elementary education. Subjects include childhood development, child health care, child psychology, and play and educational activities.
The Child Development Associate (CDA) credential program certifies childcare workers. The program is open to anyone 18 years of age or older who has childcare experience and some related classroom, workshop, or other training. A team of childcare professionals helps candidates improve their childcare skills and recommends further training, if necessary. The training is offered in local schools and colleges. When candidates are ready, the team assesses their abilities and performance with young children and decides whether they qualify for the CDA credential.
Childcare workers should be kind and patient and have energy and physical stamina. Skills in music, art, drama, and storytelling are also important. Those who work for themselves must have business sense and management abilities. As childcare workers gain experience, they may advance to supervisory or administrative positions in large childcare centers. Often, however, these positions require additional training. Some workers set up their own childcare businesses.
Job Outlook:
Employment of childcare workers is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations through the year. This reflects anticipated growth in the number of young children who will need care, together with a shift in the type of childcare arrangements parents choose.
Currently, mothers of very young children are almost as likely to work as other women. This pattern is not expected to change. Moreover, women are returning to work sooner after childbirth. A number of daycare centers now offer infant care in addition to care for toddlers and preschoolers.
Many parents turn to formal childcare arrangements because they find it too difficult to set up a satisfactory arrangement with a relative, babysitter, or live-in worker. The availability of relatives to care for young children appears to have decreased. Family members today are spread out over large distances and it may not be feasible for grandmothers to care for their grandchildren, for example. Furthermore, with so many women in the labor force, the pool of women at home has contracted.
Nearly half of all preschoolers who receive some form of childcare are in childcare centers or family daycare settings, and formal arrangements such as these are likely to be even more widespread in the future. This will spur demand for childcare workers.
Job openings will be plentiful through the year. Increased demand for childcare workers plus the need to replace workers who leave the occupation are expected to create numerous openings. Persons who are interested in this work and suited for it should have little trouble finding and keeping jobs.
Earnings:
Earnings of self-employed childcare workers vary depending on the hours worked, number and ages of the children, and the geographic area.
Related Occupations:
Childcare work requires patience, creativity, an ability to nurture, motivate, teach, and influence others, and, in some cases, leadership and organizational and administrative abilities. Others who work with children and require these aptitudes include teacher aides, children's tutors, foster parents, kindergarten and elementary school teachers, and early childhood program directors.
