As a trained child care worker, you may occupy many different caregiver roles – whether working in an established daycare center or with a single family as a nanny or maternity nurse.  With certification, you may be able to command higher wages in this field and successfully obtain managerial positions.  In addition, as preschool and other nursery school systems continue to evolve, it’s likely that all child care workers will be required to have some type of certification and basic training.  Therefore, if you’re interested in these jobs, it’s to your advantage to gain these certifications as soon as possible.

 

Job Description

 

Just like a regular child care worker, you may be responsible for everything from feeding children to supervising homework sessions.  At the same time, with the additional training and certifications that qualify you as a trained child care worker, you’re also more likely to be employed by a registered facility.   In these cases, you’ll likely have contact with more children, as well as with children of many different ages. 

 

Education

 

Depending on the state that you’ll be working in, you may be required to have at least an associate’s degree in child development or early childhood education.  You may also need to obtain your CDA (Child Development Associate) credentials in order to work as a trained child care worker.  In some states, obtaining this certification will require you to spend a certain number of hours working as an intern in an established daycare facility. 

 

Finding a Job

 

If you choose to work in a daycare center, you’ll enjoy long term job stability, since there will always be children who need care while their parents work.  In these situations, you’ll also have the opportunity to advance through the ranks of management until you’re in charge of overseeing an entire facility.  If this career path interests you, the best way to proceed is to search job banks and classified ads for relevant positions.   If you attend a local college, your academic advisor may also be able to alert you to job openings in the area. 

On the other hand, if you’re more interested in working in a home or private setting, you may need to advertise your services instead.  You might find it helpful to have business cards made up so that you can give your contact information to any potential employers that you meet.  You’ll also want to advertise your services in online city guides, as well as your local newspapers.  Finally, if you know any teachers in your local elementary schools, ask them to recommend you to parents that need child care assistance.

 

Career Opportunities

 

As a trained child care worker, you’ll have a wide range of opportunities for employment to consider.  If you’re interested in teaching as a career, you may be able to find jobs where you’ll spend more time teaching preschool children, as opposed to simply feeding them.  On the other hand, if you’re interested in managing a daycare facility, you’ll be more qualified to earn this promotion having worked as a trained child care employee in the past. 

 

Regardless of whether you supervise young children during the day or just after school, there’s an enormous need for trained child care workers in both established daycare centers and in private homes.  Working with young children can be extremely rewarding – and you can take comfort in the job security this field provides.  In addition, if you’re planning to start your own family at some point in the future, working as a trained child care work will give you great experience in preparing to be a parent.