Five Things You Need To Be An Awesome Childcare Worker

68% of British families with young children now rely on daycare, making childcare workers an indispensable part of everyday life. So if looking after little ones sounds like your dream job description, read on, as we explore the skills and qualities employers are looking for.

Gaining a qualification in childcare will give you a solid understanding of young children’s social, physical, emotional and educational development and set you on the path to becoming a childcare worker. But before you decide on a course, you need to consider which childcare setting you’d like to work in and whether you want to work full- time or part-time.

All formal childcare settings require a full background check, known as a DBS check.

Preschool Teacher
Setting: School nurseries/private nurseries/day care centres
Children’s Age: 0-5 years
Typical Hours: 8am-4pm
Qualification: Initial teacher training (EYITT)/
Bachelor’s degree in early childhood/PGCE in early years/School direct graduate entry
Average Pay: £16,000-30,000

Includes: delivering early childhood education based on a structured curriculum
Liaising with other childcare professionals

Playworker
Setting: Before and after school activities/play schemes/daycare centres
Children’s Age: School-Age Children
Typical Hours: Evenings, weekends, school holidays
Qualification: Level 2/3 Award in Playwork
Average Pay: £12,000-£20,000

Includes organising and leading before and after school activities

Young children are incredibly active and lively, so whether you work full time or part time, looking after them requires plenty of stamina. Because children learn and gain social skills through playing and exploring the world around them, childcare workers spend a lot of time on their feet leading games, creative play and outdoor physical activity.

Childcare worker jobs can also be mentally demanding, as all pre-school childcare providers have to provide an early childhood education that follows the Early Year Foundation Stage Framework. Even if you’re childminding in your own living space, you’ll need to offer activities that ignite children’s curiosity, teach basic concepts and prepare them for the more structured curriculum they’ll encounter as older children. Think of it as giving them an early head start.

Of course, if you work with younger ones in a daycare setting, your job description will also include meeting more basic needs. Expect to be changing nappies and preparing feeds.

Becoming a childcare worker allows you to access a wonderful range of ready made resources designed to encourage children’s learning and meet early childhood education requirements. However, as you get to know the young children in your care, you’ll probably want to come up with your own ideas. This requires creativity and imagination, as children respond best to original visual aids, colourful displays and captivating stories.

Childcare providers also need to provide opportunities for children to express themselves and their feelings through art, dance and drama. Creative activities like these improve coordination and help kids to develop a positive self-image.

Childcare professionals and pre-school teachers in early childhood education require a lot of patience, as young children learn how to carry out simple tasks by repetition. They also like routine, so chances are that you’ll be taking your tots to the toilet, teaching them to wash their hands and encouraging them to eat politely at the same time every day.

Patience is also the key to coping with overtired, fractious or sick children. As a childcare worker you’ll often encounter these, so it’s important that you’re able to remain calm in difficult situations and keep things in perspective. A sense of humour also helps!

Whether you’re helping kids to settle in, welcoming prospective families, leading story time or sorting out an argument, you’ll need excellent verbal communication skills to work in childcare centres. Developing a strong bond with the young people in your care will help them to feel secure, giving them the confidence they need to join in with creative activities.

Open, honest communication also helps parents and formal childcare providers to develop a trusting partnership. Once this has been established, parents are more likely to share important information that will help family childcare providers to pick up any developmental problems.

Written communication skills are equally important in childcare settings, as many childcare worker jobs involve keeping records and filling in paperwork.

Tax free childcare, free early childhood education and an economic upturn have boosted the growth of the childcare sector. With demand for family child care providers likely to continue rising, the Department For Education has devoted fifty million pounds to funding new childcare places and extending current provision.

Keen to help children blossom and achieve their potential? Check out the online childcare courses that could kick-start your career.