A Day in the Life of a Child Care Worker
Child care workers live with the reality that there is no perfect substitute for a family in
raising a child; but while parents are at work, away, or otherwise unavailable, responsibility for
the care and supervision of their children is a serious concern, and there are great possibilities
for personal fulfillment in any career of service to young people. “Rewarding” is how
most child care workers describe their jobs, and the joy of helping children grow—both
intellectually and emotionally—is one of its most appealing features.
A number of child care workers are hired by government
agencies and large corporations to run in-house day
care centers. These centers allow parents to work and still
remain close to their children, a valuable benefit for little or
no charge. Firms are increasingly recognizing that having an on-site day care center provides
them with significant advantages, notably reduced absenteeism, higher productivity, and better
morale among workers, for relatively few dollars.
Other child care workers are employed by individual families; responsibilities in these
positions may be more comprehensive, from live-in, 24-hour assistance to cooking duties.
Arrangements are made individually between parents and the child care provider. Recent
events have brought the widespread lack of Social Security payments for child care workers
to national attention. Employers are responsible for these payments by law; many employers
do not realize this until it is brought to their attention.
A child care worker manages a child’s day, most often attending to the child from early
morning through early afternoon, keeping the child engaged with games, exercise, meals, and
study. “If you’re not organized, you’re going to have lots of problems,” said one 10-year child
care worker. But professionals must be flexible within a framework. With young children,
“anything can happen and anything will,” wrote another. Children need to trust and feel at
home with the people around them, and the successful caregiver deals with situations as they
arise, from health care emergencies to calming a very active child. The ability to provide a
solid framework of activity, a flexible outlook, and a sense of caring, fun, and energy, are all
important facets of being a good child care worker.
Paying Your Dues
Perhaps the most important characteristic of the child care worker is a delicate balance of
maturity and wonder. Child care providers work long hours under trying circumstances with
children who are grasping to understand the world. A professional must be mature enough to
act responsibly with and around the child but be sufficiently filled with wonder to share in the
child’s excitement about learning. No specific educational requirements exist for the profession,
but since child care workers are responsibile for the care of children, courses in basic first
aid, childhood development, early childhood education, and nutrition are helpful. The better
day care centers require bachelor’s or master’s degrees in early childhood education. Extensive
personal screening is routine in this field, particularly for candidates who work through an
agency. Recommendations are more important in this field than in just about any other, and
so the worker with excellent references will have a great advantage.
One of the most difficult aspects of being a child care worker is maintaining seemingly
infinite patience in handling young and excitable children. Another great challenge is the
lack of adult human contact. Most people who are dissatisfied with the profession claim it is
394 | Guide to Your Career
due not to lack of enjoyment of teaching and nurturing children, but rather to the desire for
peer contact and communication. Wages increase inconsistently for both the day care center
worker and the family nanny alike, and without assuming further responsibilities, there is not
much of a metaphorical ladder to climb.
Present and Future
During the Middle Ages, branches of the Catholic Church managed orphanages and “public
houses” for abandoned children. Royal and wealthy families always employed a staff of specialists
who were responsible for raising and educating the children, with each staff member
holding a discrete responsibility, such as nurse, tutor, or physical fitness instructor. When both
parents work, now, it is common to hire part-time nannies or send children to day care centers.
Child care positions are expected to become increasingly available with rapid job growth
over the next few years. Many jobs will become available through religious, private, and community-
based organizations that recognize the need for more child care options and the value
of economies of scale in this profession (i.e., it doesn’t cost that much more to have one person
look after three children instead of two). Private companies will also contribute significantly
to this job growth, which should take place relatively evenly across the United States.
Quality of Life
PRESENT AND FUTURE
years is a relatively long period for child care workers to be employed at a single
location. Many people work part-time to supplement another, less remunerative
occupation. Those childcare workers who excel at their jobs are likely to receive raises
and supervisional responsibilities within two years. Family child care workers can expect
salaries to rise and duties to change, based on the growth and needs of the child. Turnover is
significant during these years—around 20 percent of part-time child care workers leave the
profession within the first two years.
FIVE YEARS OUT
Five-year veterans generally fall into two categories: people who are running day
care centers and child care programs and people who work as individual practitioners
for families. At this point, the former have supervisory, staffing, and budget
responsibilities. The latter have significant relationships with families—especially those
workers with live-in positions; a long-term child care worker has likely bonded with the child
and has become a very important person in that child’s life. Many caregivers are forced to
shift from one family to another when the children begin attending school. Many caregivers
find it difficult to sever their ties, as the relationships can become intense.
TEN YEARS OUT
Child care workers who have lasted 10 years in the profession gain strong satisfaction
from their choice of occupation. Nearly all of them have worked a number of
jobs and have good reputations and strong opportunities for employment. Many
10-year day care center veterans open their own day care centers, but they may find that while
they gain greater control over their work environment, they end up spending more time running
the business than actually caring for children.