If you love children, then working in a day care center may be the right career for you.
If you have the skills to lead and supervise others, and run the business of day care in addition to taking care of children of all ages and varying background, then you might be right for the position of Day Care Manager, which requires that you complete a degree related to the care and education of small children and learn how to provide for and nurture children in a day care setting.
Here is what you need to know to begin preparing for a career as a Day Care Manager. Although each region and state has different requirements and each school varies slightly in the programs, there is some general information that will apply in most areas of the country.
Job Description:
Just what is a Day Care Manager?
It may surprise some to learn exactly what a Child Daycare Manager does. If you are placed in this position, you will be responsible for some tasks that are extremely important to the continued success of the day care center, as well as for ensuring that nothing happens to the children while at the day care center.
It is vital that you know what the position entails and be prepared for working in the field, excelling at jobs like supervising providers, working with parents and guardians and managing each detail of the day care center.
Day Care Manager Goals:
Maintain a Quality Environment for the Children
Obviously, within your Daycare center, safety must be your primary concern, and so creating an environment, both indoors and outside of the day care center, whether that be in the yard or on field trips around town, is vital.
This will include checking and maintaining play equipment, determining what toys are appropriate for which ages, and if necessary, even changing the building design to make it safer. The Day Care Manager will supervise the cleaning procedures of areas, and make sure that they are maintained, especially in vital germ-ridden areas like the bathrooms and kitchens and overall make sure that the building is super clean and aesthetically pleasing to both the children and parents, as they drop children off, or visit to determine if they would like to enroll their children.
Create Schedules:
Not only will the Daycare Manager be responsible for creating and maintaining an employee schedule, just as with any other business that requires that staff be present during operating hours, but the manager will also have the added responsibility for:
1) Developing classroom schedules so that children have the most opportunities to learn,
2) Amount of time needed to play,
3) Time scheduled for exercise and fitness and
4) Adequate time is provided for meals,
5) Transition from one activity to another is smooth,
6) And correct number of daycare workers are present.
Day Care Record Keeping:
Also, the Day Care Manager is responsible for keeping records of the operation.
Childcare Manager jobs include:
1) Progress reports on children, accidents and treatment, attendance, medical records and medication given,
2) Financial information for the daycare center and payment and billing records along with the accountant or book keeper if one is employed.
3) Keeping track of receipts, work orders and other records is a vital part of the daily task list of a Daycare Manager.
Supervising and Coordinating Activities for Enrichment:
A child care facility manager may also be responsible for creating opportunities for learning through field trips in the community like zoos and other child friendly activities, as well as organizing special guests to talk to children.
Besides being responsible for coordinating these events, they are also responsible for finding the funding for these activities which may include submitting proposals and grant requests for public or private assistance.
Working With Parents:
Daycare facility managers will also be ultimately responsible to the parents as well as to state and federal laws regulating the facility.
In situations of injury, illness or behavior problems or any sort of building problems like fire or flood the Daycare Manager must be able to determine who the appropriate person is to contact and work with, and resolve the problem to the satisfaction of the parents, local authorities and maintain the safety of all the children at all costs, which requires a skilled and thorough assessment and the creation and adherence to protocols for such an event.