What should I know when considering a degree in Child Day Care Management?
When studying for a degree in Child Daycare Management the student is learning a variety of skills that will apply to
several well-paying and rewarding careers later on.
Education Requirements
Course provided by colleges will cover the operating of child daycare center, opening and managing your own center, and
working with young children. The graduate will have a background in both child development as well as business management.
Courses will teach students how to create contracts with parents and businesses as well as how to effectively communicate
with the community. Opening a child daycare center calls for working knowledge in business licensure, child care
certification requirements per state, and flexible thinking. A program in child daycare management will also teach the
student basic bookkeeping, hiring policies, child laws, and budgeting for a small business.
Those with child care training will have an understanding of age appropriate activities and behaviors for young
children. Having the ability to actively observe children and accurately record observations can inform instruction.
Courses in child daycare management will teach you everything you need to know to succeed in building a curriculum and
environment that is conducive to child learning.
Career Opportunities
Corporations
There are many job opportunities with large corporations for individuals with childcare training. These corporations
hire those with Child Daycare Management education to operate daycare facilities. Child daycare directors are often the
sole administrators in a child care center so a lot of time is spent managing the day-to-day operations of the daycare
center. Directors are responsible for marketing their child daycare centers as well as maintaining the daycare’s image.
Directors also ensure that the center they run is in compliance with state licensing guidelines through observation and
teacher trainings. Hiring and training qualified staff is a large part of a manager’s responsibilities. Being hired by a
larger firm also gives the benefits of health insurance and a discount for the manager’s own children.
Entrepreneurs
With a degree in Child Daycare Management it is possible start your own child daycare center instead of working for a
larger corporation. Starting from the beginning with a small business means many decisions for the entrepreneur. From
locating the right area to networking and finding resources in the community, the child daycare entrepreneur will have to
do it all. As with many entrepreneurial ventures, this is more than a full time job.
The benefits for individuals who pursue opening a child daycare center are varied. Working for oneself means that as your
business thrives so does your family. Many child daycare managers enjoy bringing their own children to work where they will
get to interact with other children and still be close to a parent.
Non-Profit
After earning a degree in Child Daycare Management, individuals may decide to work for a non-profit group. The YMCA and
federally-funded Head Start are examples of these types of organizations. The organizations that run these programs often
require and provide continued education for their staff. Teachers and coordinators within the Head Start umbrella assist
disadvantaged families. Working for Head Start is very different from a private child daycare center. Not only is the
coordinator a child care teacher but he or she also provides support and resources to families as needed. The family
education component within the Head Start model often appeals to individuals who have considered social services as a line
of work.
Characteristics of Successful Child Daycare Managers
Those with a degree in Child Daycare Management have a true love for children and families. Those who work with young
children are helping to lay the foundation for children’s education. It is becoming increasingly well-known that the birth
to five age range is a critical time for learning and forming strong, supportive attachments for children. In a study of
birth to five programs by RAND for the PNC Financial Group the findings showed that those children who took part in these
programs were more likely to be employed at a higher rate than those who did not participate in birth to five educational
programs.
Long Term Job Market
The need for quality caregivers and child daycare managers will not decline. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics
the field of child daycare management is set to grow in the time period between 2006 and 2016. The entire child daycare
industry itself is predicted to grow by 34 percent. This growth is in part due to turnover within the industry as people
either find new careers or retire. Additional growth is due to this new understanding that young children need a solid
foundation for education. Those in the Child Daycare Management field have many options open to them when considering
their career path.
Article References
Bureau of Labor Statistics – Education Administrators
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos007.htm
Birth to Five Alliance
http://birthtofivepolicy.org/index.php/making
_the_case/
RAND Study
http://www.birthtofivepolicy.org/images/uploads/making_the_case/
What are the leading schools offering programs in Child Day Care Management?
- ICS Canada : ICS Canada offers career training in Business, Design, Education, Vocational, Healthcare, Legal Studies, and Information Technology fields through flexible distance learning. (More Info)
- Penn Foster Career School : Penn Foster Career School is the world's largest and most respected distance learning institution offers Career Diploma programs in the fields of Business, Healthcare, Education, Paralegal, Technology, Mechanics and more.
(More Info)
- Penn Foster Career School - Vocational Programs : Penn Foster Career School is one of the world's largest distance learning institutions, offers Vocational Diploma programs in the fields of Automotive Technology, Catering & Gourmet Cooking, Electrician, Fitness & Nutrition, Home Inspection, HVAC, Motorcycle Repair and more. (More Info)
|
