Your Questions About Child Day Care Center Jobs
Mark asks…
Do you work for, or run, a child care center?
I just interviewed and was offered a position, but am a bit leery. The owner’s desk had piles of papers stacked about a foot high all over her desk. It’s been my experience, ‘a cluttered desk reflects a cluttered mind.’ I’d want a boss who’d be available, at least to some degree.
There were two staff off that day due to being sick (looked to be maybe 5-6 daycare workers employed total) So she barely had time to talk with me, as she was also attending to some kids.
She said there would be times I’d show up for work, but due to low numbers, I would be told ‘don’t punch in for another 15 minutes’. Same with end of day, I might be told to leave early if numbers are low. But could go other way too, and I might get called in early, or need to stay late.
And I’m worried about holidays and no school weeks, where perhaps teachers who have their kids at her daycare might not be working, thus I’d be not getting many hours?
She also mentioned I might be taking over for the pre school teacher who’s leaving soon. Should I be trained/certified in that? I have a lot of child care experience with kindergarten age on up, but except for neices/nephews (the youngest who is now 19), no professional experience with younger than kingergarten age.
Don’t be too quick to just say ‘you should probably keep looking’, as I am in serious need of a job.
Please share your experiences, thanks
admin answers:
I am a recently retired child care director of 25 years so i do have some clarity on some of your issues.
First off, the papers on the desk. There is tons of paperwork for a director to do. Licensing stuff, staff stuff, food program stuff, stuff stuff. You name it, we have to do it. There’s no one else to do it as most things you have to sign your name to. My desk may have been cluttered to someone else but it was my clutter and i knew where everything was. And mostly my desk was cluttered as i’d drop and run…..meaning i’d drop stuff off and run to help out in a class, drive a bus, tend to a child or a parent or whatever needed to be tended to. Paperwork waited.
Some centers do have the practice of having teachers wait to clock in late and clock out early due to ratios. I never had teachers wait to clock in. If you were supposed to be there at a certain time, i expected you there and you expected to be paid for it. But in the evening we did have teachers clock out early if ratios were down. But teachers normally don’t mind this and i tried to make it fair and they’d trade off. Most of the time, though, i’d give them the extra time, without kids, in their classroom for planning time. Even 15 minutes now and then can help. Scheduling is an art and not every director is great at it.
Sometimes staff are sick and you have to cover as best as you can to stay in ratios. It’s normally worse in the winter during cold/flu season. Normally i’d take a class instead of combining kids. But not all directors want to go in a class and it wasn’t always a situation that i could. But if i could, i would.
As far as teaching preschool and certifications go, each state has their own regulations for this. Normally it’s 6 months of working in a licensed facility and 18 years of age and MAYBE some ece classes. Don’t sweat it. Ps is fun and you’d catch on. At that age they learn through play so it’s just following the lesson plans until you get the hang of it.
During spring break and christmas break my center would have low numbers (mostly military kids). We’d take that opportunity to allow vacation days to selected staff as long as the center was in ratio. I always had sign up sheets well in advance so i’d know how many kids i’d have so i’d be able to staff accordingly. Usually the full time teachers would want off and the part time kids would want the extra hours. So it all worked out.
My advice, don’t pass it up. Money is money. You might find you love it. I think you’re just hesitant as it was probably hectic, the director was stressed because of being short staffed, and the other staffers were stressed also. Take the job, relax and be a blessing to your fellow staffers, the director and the families you’ll service.
Richard asks…
Day Care Issues…In home or Center, whats better?
Ok, I have a ten year old and three year old. Currently looking for a preschool environment for my youngest (obviously, lol 
), and have been hit really hard with economic troubles and and having a very hard time affording an expensive (but really great 
) day care center. I am in college, single Mom, and recieve little child support so I am so broke right now I am almost being evicted.
How do you make a decison of cutting costs in this area? I know my kids are my first priority and have made many cut backs of my own to try and fix things. But when daycare is sometimes more than half my paycheck, being homeless isn’t a good alternative either. So I am chacking into home providers but its so scarey. I did daycare when he was a newborn (his father left the state while I was pregnant so I didn’t have much help) and until he was almost two…..Point with that is that I KNOW there are people out there who will treat your children good and enjoy the job of daycare……How do you know though? So frazzled. Any ideas? (Oh, and I have already applied for child care assitance with the gov. but due to our economy they can’t help either, and I don’t actually want that help anyway because I believe in providing on my own….just sayiN )
admin answers:
I actually prefer In Home Daycares, not only are they a lot more affordable but i swear every time i picked my daughter up from a daycare center and i asked them what she did today, nobody knew when she ate, when she played, when she napped, it was ridiculous! I tried multiple daycares and consistently i was finding they take on to many kids with not enough adults and not each child gets the care they need. I also find that they don’t have as much concern for the parents request because they have so many other kids to take care of.
With In Home Daycare i noticed i get a discount for multiple children, i now have a personal relationship with her day care provider because by state law shes only able to take in four kids and two infants so she has more time to focus on each kid. Also, when its a person you’re working with and not a center i find they are much more reasonable on price, and willing to work with you and what you can afford. There are tons of them on Craigslist, in the paper and on Nanny sites like http://sitter-finder.com/
Joseph asks…
how to get a job at a child daycare?
hi. i was wondering how i can get a job to work at a child day care center. im almost 16 years old. i had been in a “child develpoment” class, and i had been in a “early childhood lab” class when you actually get to take care of 4 year old children. so i do have experience with children. i was just wondering what you need to do to get a job at a child care center.
thank you so much.
admin answers:
Hey! I`m 15 and I work at a Daycare. I posted an add on www.kijiji.ca – it’s all local.
I also post babysitting ad’s, everything. I have obtained many babysitting positions and got my Daycare position.
Good luck 
Maria asks…
Will jobs at day care centers let you bring your kids?
I’m only 10 weeks pregnant right now, but I’m trying to think ahead to when I have the baby.
Right now, I only work at a grocery store. I don’t make enough money each hour to make staying there worth it (baby-sitting, especially for infants, is too expensive). But I want to do some kind of work to bring in more income after I have the baby.
I had an idea that maybe if I got a job at a day care center, maybe my baby could go there for free while I earn money. But I’m not sure if they would do that. Does anyone know if they would?
Would it be free to enroll my child if I work there? Would I have to pay, but maybe get a discount? Either way, would I be make any sort of profit if I did this?
admin answers:
It completely depends on the individual establishment, but it really does sound better than it actually is. My mother was a home health nurse when my sister was born and was allowed to bring her to work with her and it was incredibly hard to have to put the person she was caring for before her daughter, but that’s what you have to do when you bring your kid to work. It can be a great set up for some people, or it can be completely miserable.
Sandy asks…
This question is for day care teachers. Do u think this is fair ?
I used to work for a daycare center & I got paid 7.50hr with no raises & no medical insurance. I dont know how much people in other states get paid for being a daycare provider but to me it seems crazy b cuz when i worked as an administrative assistant for I got paid 10/hr with medical insurance & i just pushed paper, where as being a daycare provider u r caring 4 the well being of someone’s child,u r up on your feet constantly and u must be great rolemodle and carefully use positive disiplinary action. And working at day care babies/kids can get you sick alot & they have the nerve not allow the workers not to have medical coverage…or something thats crazy. So i ask this…. having a job where u have somewhat contribution of caring & molding a human childs life & doing all the in’s & out’s of caring 4 the well-being of a child 4 8hrs, y is it that u get paid the amount money a casheir makes at a fast food restaurant Y is a pushing paper job worth more than a HUMAN child care job?
admin answers:
Crazy right! Yes it is and thats the world we live in! I have a Masters Degree in counseling and get paid 12/an hour..for helping people with mental health problems …yet the damn toll booth worker makes 18/hour with a high school GED…totally stinks but thats the crazy world we live in!
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