What Is a Child Care Specialist?
A career as a child care specialist can be rewarding for those who love to work with and nurture young children. Child care specialists work in a variety of setting from preschools to family homes. Earning a child development associate or child care professional certification may lead to increased job opportunities.
Definition of a Child Care Specialist
Child care specialists most frequently work with preschool children who have not yet enrolled in kindergarten. They may also work with slightly older children outside of traditional school hours. These workers supervise their young charges and provide a safe, nurturing environment. Part of this supervision involves organizing daily activities and educational experiences to help with a child's development.
Child care specialists may work one-on-one or with small groups of children. In a preschool setting, they often provide assistance to teachers. As caregivers, these workers are expected to look after the emotional and physical well-being of the children placed under their guidance.
Duties of Child Care Specialists
From storytelling to playing with building blocks, child care specialists spend much of their day engaging children in different types of play. They may also prepare drinks and snacks for children, make sure that they are aware of personal hygiene rules and attend to any of their other basic needs. Specialists working with children at or above kindergarten level may provide homework help. Those who work with very young children may need to change, bathe, dress and feed them.
Child care specialists must deal compassionately but firmly with disruptive children. They may also communicate with parents or guardians about their child's advancement. Through targeted activities, such as art projects and field trips, child care specialists try to prepare children for future social interactions.
Child Care Specialist Job Requirements
People interested in working with children must exude a positive influence and genuinely love being around young minds. Licensing and certification requirements vary by state, but employers may favor applicants with child development associate (CDA) or certified child care professional (CCP) credentials.
The CDA credential is available from the Council for Professional Recognition (www.cdacouncil.org), and the CCP credential is earned through the National Child Care Association (www.nccanet.org). Both credentials focus on early childhood education and require previous work experience along with completion of supervised training hours.
Career Information for Child Care Specialists
Child care specialists may work in daycare centers, preschools, their own residences or family households. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported about 33% of child care specialists as self-employed in 2008 with most providing services from their homes (www.bls.gov).
Working hours can vary considerably. A specialist working in a daycare center may work regular hours during the day while those employed in a home environment may work evenings and weekends. According to the BLS, job growth for child care workers is expected to increase by 11% between 2008 and 2018, and employment opportunities will be favorable due to workers who have left the profession and need to be replaced (www.bls.gov).
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