What Do Childcare Workers Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Childcare Workers attend to children at schools, businesses, private households, and childcare institutions. Perform a variety of tasks, such as dressing, feeding, bathing, and overseeing play. They also maintain a safe play environment.

Other tasks include:

• Observe and monitor children’s play activities.
• Communicate with children’s parents or guardians about daily activities, behaviors, and related issues.
• Support children’s emotional and social development, encouraging understanding of others and positive self-concepts.
• Care for children in institutional setting, such as group homes, nursery schools, private businesses, or schools for the handicapped.
• Sanitize toys and play equipment.
• Dress children and change diapers.

We asked Childcare Workers how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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65% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 60% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Childcare Workers regulate children’s rest periods. They communicate with children’s parents or guardians about daily activities, behaviors, and related issues.

A typical day for a Childcare Worker will also include:

• Perform general administrative tasks, such as taking attendance, editing internal paperwork, and making phone calls.
• Keep records on individual children, including daily observations and information about activities, meals served, and medications administered.
• Perform housekeeping duties, such as laundry, cleaning, dish washing, and changing of linens.
• Instruct children in health and personal habits, such as eating, resting, and toilet habits.
• Support children’s emotional and social development, encouraging understanding of others and positive self-concepts.

We asked some Childcare Workers a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	46% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	85% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	80% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	17% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	17% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	39% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Childcare Workers also accompany children to and from school, on outings, and to medical appointments. They may also create developmentally appropriate lesson plans.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Childcare Workers Provide care for mentally disturbed, delinquent, or handicapped children. They might also Perform housekeeping duties, such as laundry, cleaning, dish washing, and changing of linens.

In addition, they Sanitize toys and play equipment.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Organize and participate in recreational activities and outings, such as games and field trips.

To some Childcare Workers, it is also their responsibility to Help children with homework and school work.

Working life

Standard 40 hour work week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Childcare Worker, you can expect to work 40 hour work week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others..

They also like working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/personal-care-and-service/childcare-workers.htm

http://childcareaware.org/

http://www.nafcc.org/

http://www.necpa.net/