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What Are the Different Types of Career Opportunities in Childcare?

Emily Daw
Emily Daw

While some may think of childcare simply as babysitting for their nieces or nephews on a Friday night, there are actually a wide variety of career opportunities in childcare. These opportunities include single-family babysitting and nannying jobs, daycare facility positions, and teaching and assistant teaching positions, among others. Some of these jobs require certifications, while others are more informal.

One of the more common career opportunities in childcare is as a babysitter for a single family, often called a nanny. Nannies typically work in the home of the family, arriving as the parents leave for work in the morning and staying until they return home, although some may actually live with the family. In addition to childcare, the nanny may be responsible for some other household duties, such as cooking or cleaning, though this varies widely from job to job.

Some individuals choose to open a daycare facility.
Some individuals choose to open a daycare facility.

Babysitters or long-term nannies are often matched with families through nanny agencies. A nanny who works for one of these agencies will typically go through a background check as well as some sort of safety training. Their schedules may vary greatly day to day and week to week, depending on the availability of positions.

One particular type of nanny is known as an au pair — typically a person in his or her late teens or early twenties who lives with a host family in another country. The au pair may work either full time or part time assisting with childcare or household tasks. He or she may use time off to travel or to study the host country's language. Government restrictions vary, but often limit the length of an au pair job to one year.

Some people interested in working with children pursue babysitting or nannying opportunities.
Some people interested in working with children pursue babysitting or nannying opportunities.

In addition to single-family jobs, career opportunities in childcare can be in a home daycare or a daycare institution. At either of these types of daycare centers, a parent drops off his or her children in the morning and picks them up in the evening. Positions in these types of facilities include the director and the caregivers. The director makes sure that the center runs smoothly and follows all relevant government regulations, such as child-to-caregiver ratios and safety rules. Caregivers are responsible for the safety of the children and may also do some of the cooking or cleaning, especially in home daycares.

A nanny may be responsible for light housework in addition to caring for the child.
A nanny may be responsible for light housework in addition to caring for the child.

Preschool teaching or assistant teaching jobs are another type of career opportunities in childcare. Preschool teachers generally should have some education or training in child development or early childhood education. The teacher is responsible for creating and teaching the lessons. An assistant teacher or teacher's aide works alongside the teacher to provide a safe, clean learning environment.

Discussion Comments

AnjaKK

It is important not to mix the term au pair with the profession of a nanny. The au pair provides live-in childcare to a family. The host family needs to train the au pair, explain cultural differences and also consider a language barrier.

Spotiche5

@raynbow- I have a friend who use to work as a nanny, and she said that this career can be wonderful or frustrating, depending on the family.

She once explained to me that a busy mother and father who are also engaged in their children's lives are the best type of people to work for. It's the couple that wants someone else to raise their children that can be a problem and make the job overwhelming for their nanny.

The bottom line is that anyone going into this career field has to ask a lot of questions of the hiring family when she is being interviewed to be their nanny. This will allow her to understand exactly what they expect of her before she accepts the position.

Ocelot60

@raynbow- I have a friend who has a nanny, and the young lady has become like one of the family. Not only does she live with them most of the time, but she also travels with them to care for their children while they are on vacation or working in another city.

If your cousin wants a career that pays well and provides stable hours, a position as a nanny might be for her. One of the best things about this type of career besides interaction with kids is that living expenses like rent and food are usually included.

Your cousin will also have to be prepared to serve as a daily childcare provider, and be willing to share in the responsibilities of raising children. This is great for people who love kids, but overwhelming for those who don't have a lot of patience.

If you cousin has an active social life or is on the verge of starting her own marriage and family, work as a nanny might not be for her. It is a very time-consuming job, so it would be hard for her to have much of a private or social life outside of her job. However, if she wants to spend a few years putting aside money while enjoying the work of caring for children, I think that she would love this type of career.

Raynbow

Being a nanny sounds like it could be a very rewarding career. Does anyone have personal experience in this field that she could share? I am trying to help a cousin decide which career path in childcare is best for her.

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    • Some individuals choose to open a daycare facility.
      By: Köpenicker
      Some individuals choose to open a daycare facility.
    • Some people interested in working with children pursue babysitting or nannying opportunities.
      By: Syda Productions
      Some people interested in working with children pursue babysitting or nannying opportunities.
    • A nanny may be responsible for light housework in addition to caring for the child.
      By: JackF
      A nanny may be responsible for light housework in addition to caring for the child.