What Does A Childcare Worker Do?

When your little one is in childcare, you want to make sure that they’re getting the best possible care, support and education. But what goes on when you’re not around? Here we break down what are childcare workers, what are the main responsibilities of a childcare worker and what type of work is childcare.

Childcare workers often work across a range of different settings, including childcare centres, family daycare, preschools or kindergartens and even in private homes, whether it be their own (EG. family daycare) or their employer’s (EG. nannies, au pairs and babysitters).

While childcare workers are ultimately there to provide care, education and support to your child, there are often a number of different roles across the childcare sector that come with their own duties and responsibilities and may even require specific qualifications and training. 

What are the duties and responsibilities of a childcare worker? 

Childcare workers are responsible for the education, care and behavioural management of young children aged from birth through to five years of age. However, depending on the childcare setting and even the specific job requirements, childcare workers can care for children up to 12 years old.

In addition to tending to the children, many childcare workers are also tasked with cleaning the facilities, including mopping, sweeping and cleaning surfaces, maintaining the personal hygiene of the children and in some cases food preparation and distribution. They may even be required to perform administrative tasks and assist with the preparation of materials for educational lessons and recreational activities. 

Although the duties and responsibilities of a childcare worker will depend on their individual role, here are some of the common responsibilities:

• Supervising and caring for children,

• Maintaining daily routine and hygiene practices,

• Engaging in age-appropriate activities and play-based learning,

• Managing children’s behaviour and nurturing social skills,

• Recording children’s progress and reporting back to parents, and 

• Liaising with parents and families.

What are the roles of a childcare worker?

When it comes to childcare, you might be wondering what's a childcare worker called? There are a number of different childcare roles, positions and jobs, each with their own job titles, educational and training requirements, tasks and responsibilities. Although a childcare worker is a role in its own right, the term is often used as a blanket title that covers a number of different positions within the childcare industry. So what are these childcare workers called? Here are some of the common roles or titles that you might find at your child’s childcare centre or setting, along with their specific tasks and duties.

Childcare worker

Childcare workers must hold or be actively working towards a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care. Childcare workers are often responsible for supervising and caring for groups of children to ensure their safety. They may work in a childcare centre or a family daycare setting. Depending on the age of the children, their duties may include changing nappies, bottle feeding babies, organising activities, maintaining daily schedules, and introducing children to basic concepts through play-based activities.

Childcare workers are required to undergo a Working with Children Check and must also hold additional training, including first aid.

With that being said, what is the job description for a childcare worker? Here are some of the tasks and duties that are often listed in job descriptions for childcare workers: 

• Maintaining children’s daily routines,

• Help prepare materials and equipment for educational and recreational activities,

• Managing children’s behaviour,

• Supporting children’s social development, and

• Coordinating activities for children to keep them entertained.  

Early childhood teacher

While you might find early childhood teachers working alongside childcare workers at your child’s childcare centre, their roles and educational requirements are slightly different. Early Childhood teachers must complete a relevant bachelor's degree, like a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) or Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Primary). Some early childhood teachers may have even completed a Master of Teaching (Early Childhood) if their undergraduate degree was in a different discipline or if they’ve pursued additional education.

Early childhood teachers aid in the social, cognitive and behavioural development of young children during their formative years. Their tasks and responsibilities include:

• Designing and implementing activities that encourage learning and creativity,

• Assessing children’s progress and development, which includes identifying learning limitations and difficulties,

• Liaising and communicating with parents, other teachers and specialists, including speech pathologists, psychologists and child health nurses, to support children’s wellbeing and health,

• Drawing on interdisciplinary strategies, like music, drama and storytelling, to develop social skills and language, and

• Utilising learning frameworks and teaching approaches to build foundational skills regarding numeracy, literacy and social skills. 

Childcare centre manager

Childcare centre managers are responsible for the day-to-day operations of a childcare centre, including supervising and managing a team of childcare workers and teachers to provide care and education to young children. They’re often the main point of contact at the centre for parents and families. Childcare centre managers are responsible for ensuring the staff and children are safe at all times and that the centre remains compliant with government and health and safety regulations. They will also work closely with early childhood teachers to develop educational and recreational programs and monitor the progress of children.

Childcare centre managers must hold a minimum of a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care. Often, centre managers begin their childcare careers as childcare workers or early childhood teachers before working their way up to a management position. 

A position like this usually requires at least 5-10 years of childcare experience. Beyond the daily operations of the childcare centre, managers are responsible for:

• Recruiting and resourcing childcare staff,

• Implementing marketing strategies for the centre,

• Maintaining centre records,

• Ensuring the safety of everyone at the centre, including staff, children and visitors,

• Planning and implementing educational programs and activities,

• Managing administrative tasks from finance and accounts to keeping accurate records, and

• Ensuring compliance with government regulations.

While these are some of the main positions you’ll find at your little one’s childcare centre, other childcare workers may work as family childcare providers, au pairs, nannies and babysitters. 

For more information on childcare or for help in finding the right childcare service for your child, Care for Kids is on hand to help. Whether you’re looking to compare local childcare services, calculate how much Childcare Subsidy you’re eligible for or are just looking for articles and tips to help you on your childcare journey, Care for Kids provides high-quality information for parents and families.