In addition to enjoying being around children, it takes patience, stamina and good communication skills to handle a childcare worker’s responsibilities. Childcare workers care for children as a service to parents and families. Childcare workers’ tasks depend on the age of the child. They provide for basic needs such as feeding, changing diapers, and instituting a regular sleep time for babies and toddlers, and also introduce concepts like sharing and playing games. Childcare workers use storytelling, and hands-on activities to help prepare preschool-age children for kindergarten. School-age children may need help with homework, or rides to activities. Tasks also vary with work setting: Childcare center workers generally work full-time, in teams. They teach structured lessons, prepare activity schedules, and keep records of children’s progress. Family childcare providers work in their own homes to care for children during the parents’ work day. They must follow local regulations, set policies, and market their services. Nannies work full-time for one family, and are in charge of children throughout the day – including preparing meals and coordinating activities. Some nannies live with the family. Babysitters typically work part-time for multiple families, as needed. Education and training requirements vary from no formal education to postsecondary education in early childhood education. Employers often prefer at least a high school education. Many states require childcare centers, including those in homes, to be licensed. Some employers require childcare workers to have a nationally-recognized credential from a childcare association.
Related Careers: Child Family and School Social Workers, Childcare Workers, Nannies, Preschool Teachers, Preschool Special Education Teachers, Social and Community Service Managers & Preschool Education Administrators
Sources: Minnesota CAREERwise & CareerOneStop
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Assist individuals with special needs.
- Care for patients with mental illnesses.
- Develop daily schedules for children or families.
- Develop educational or training programs.
- Accompany individuals or groups to activities.
- Clean tools or equipment.
- Perform housekeeping duties.
- Monitor health or behavior of people or animals.
- Maintain client information or service records.
- Teach daily living skills or behaviors.
Typical Working Conditions
- Frequent contact with others.
- Working with a group or team.
- Close physical proximity with other people.
- The freedom to determine tasks, priorities, and goals.
- Freedom to make decisions without supervision.
- Responsibility for others’ health and safety.
- Standing.
Tools & Technology used by Childcare Providers
Source: Minnesota CAREERwise
Most Important Skills for Childcare Providers
- Being Aware of Others—Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Helping Others—Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Monitoring Performance—Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Understanding How People Learn—Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Coordinating with Others—Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
- Learning New Things—Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Listening—Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Making Decisions—Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Reading—Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Speaking—Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Most Important Knowledge Areas for Childcare Providers
- Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Education and Training—Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Psychology—Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
- Computers and Electronics—Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Public Safety and Security—Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
- Clerical—Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
- Administration and Management—Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Sociology and Anthropology—Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
- Mathematics—Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Interests
Different careers may be a good fit for your personality or interests. This career is:
- Social—Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
- Artistic—Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Source: Minnesota CAREERwise
| Wages Per Hour For Childcare Providers (MN) | ||
Low$13.31 |
Median$14.63 |
High$17.09 |
Low indicates 25% of workers earn less and 75% earn more. Median indicates 50% of workers earn less and 50% earn more. High indicates 75% of workers earn less and 25% earn more.
Demand
This career is seeing high growth compared to other careers. There will be a .6% growth for Childcare Providers to meet market demand between 2018-2028. This includes the demand due to replacement (workers leaving the occupation or retiring) as well as growth.
Source: Minnesota CAREERwise
This career is best for those with at least a high school degree, and many professionals earn an Associates degree. This career does not require a license, but certifications can help you move ahead.
View the local post-secondary education options for this career from Central Lakes College.
Spotlight on Central Lakes College
- Why consider CLC?
- Virtual Campus Tours: Brainerd Campus, Staples Campus
- Learn more about the CLC Honors Program.
- Attend CLC, and you may never need to buy a textbook.
If you have a physical, mental, developmental, or cognitive condition that requires educational support, learn about support options at CLC.
Helpful High School Courses
Examples of helpful classes that help you prepare for this career:
- Child Development
- Computer Applications
- Cultural/Ethnic Studies
- English Composition
- Geography
- Health Education
- History
- Political Science
- Public Speaking
- Safety and First Aid
- Sociology
- World Languages
Source: Minnesota CAREERwise
Videos
Childcare Provider (CareerOneStop)
Childcare (Learn.org)
Preschool Teacher (Dr Kit)