There are several qualifications that aspiring professionals in the child care field must meet. These requirements can vary based on state licensing regulations, or the requirements of the school or daycare center. In order to be successful in this field and reach the level of responsibility desired – whether a teacher, daycare director, or daycare owner – candidates must complete various courses and trainings that qualify them to provide and contribute to:
- A safe, healthy learning environment
- Quality curriculums that promote child development and parent involvement
- Business operations and administrative tasks.
Typically, to acquire accreditation in these areas, child care professionals will have completed degrees in early education or elementary education, or pursue continued education degrees in daycare management.
In addition to these classes and course work, daycare management professionals are often required to have their Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, or Child Care Professional (CCP) certification – these are two of the most commonly recognized and required daycare management certifications. These programs can be rigorous. The CDA requires prospective candidates to have completed 480 hours of experience working with children within the last five years, as well as 120 hours of formalized child care. CCP certification requires 720 hours of experience, and 180 hours of training in nine specific areas of care.
Successful Daycare Management: Training, Courses, & More
These certifications, as well as many daycare management education courses and programs, focus on providing enrolled care professionals with the following core competencies.
Create a Safe, Nurturing Learning Environment
It is essential that daycare providers have the skills to keep children safe and healthy, while still encouraging curiosity and exploration. While pursuing daycare management education, providers will learn how to create this environment.
Care providers should assess the space from a child’s perspective, looking for hazards or items that might cause accidents, such as sharp edges, or uncovered electrical outlets. Caregivers must also be careful with how they store food and medications. If children require medicine, caregivers should store it up high, behind a lock. If there are any allergies, food will have to be stored accordingly to ensure there is no cross contamination.
In addition to safety measures, daycare providers must create welcoming centers that encourage early childhood development with age appropriate games and toys, as well as child sized chairs and tables, natural light, and ideally an outdoor area.
Promote Development Through Curriculum
The primary goal of any child care provider is to educate their students. Courses in daycare management teach providers how to build out programs that promote development across all core functions such as cognitive, physical, emotional and social skills. This will include creating customized plans by age group, from infants, to toddlers, to preschoolers.
In addition to teaching daycare providers how to plan these nurturing curriculums, a strong daycare management program will also help to develop the skills needed to observe and evaluate each child’s developmental progress. This ensures the highest quality, individualized care, as instructors observe and alter plans based on the pace of each child’s growth. Furthermore, these trainings will help daycare instructors create plans for parent engagement, for how to best communicate and build relationships with families to align learning.
Business and Administrative Operations
In addition to preparing child care professionals for day-to-day child needs, daycare management training will also prepare professionals with the business and administrative knowledge to direct a daycare, or to open their own daycare. Individuals in these management positions are in charge of the administrative tasks that keep daycare centers running.
This means tracking employee training and licensing requirements, billing and payroll, scheduling, expenses, and more, to ensure that that center is profitable. Daycare management courses will often include sessions on how to automate these processes with daycare software, and how to choose the best child care software for your center.
Final Thoughts
To achieve a well-rounded daycare management education that informs high quality care, caregivers need training in three core areas of operating a successful child care business. When searching for the program to get this training, child care providers should maintain the three core areas listed above as a basis for their continued daycare education and training.
Learn about how Procare’s child care management software supports daycare administrative tasks.
