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Choose Course Title
Child Care
 Child Care WorkersChild care workers nurture and care for children who have not yet entered formal schooling. They also supervise older children before and after school. These workers play an important role in children’s development by caring for them when parents are at work or away for other reasons. In addition to attending to children’s basic needs, child care workers organize activities and implement curricula that stimulate children’s physical, emotional, intellectual, and social growth. They help children explore individual interests, develop talents and independence, build self-esteem, and learn how to get along with others.
Young children learn mainly through play. Child care workers recognize this and capitalize on children’s play to further language development (storytelling and acting games), improve social skills (working together to build a neighborhood in a sandbox), and introduce scientific and mathematical concepts (balancing and counting blocks when building a bridge or mixing colors when painting). Often a less structured approach is used to teach young children, including small-group lessons; one-on-one instruction; and creative activities such as art, dance, and music. Child care workers play a vital role in preparing children to build the skills they will need in school.
Child Development Associate - Some employers prefer to hire child care workers who have earned a nationally recognized Child Development Associate (CDA) credential from the Council for Professional Recognition. Requirements include child care experience and coursework, such as college courses or non-credit seminars.
Job Outlook
Child care workers are expected to experience job growth that is faster than the average for all occupations. Job prospects will be excellent because of the many workers who leave and need to be replaced. Employment of child care workers is projected to increase by 18 percent between 2006 and 2016.
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