About This Career

Cares for children in private households and provides support and expertise to parents in satisfying children's physical, emotional, intellectual, and social needs. Duties may include meal planning and preparation, laundry and clothing care, organization of play activities and outings, discipline, intellectual stimulation, language activities, and transportation.

This career is part of the Human Services cluster Early Childhood Development and Services pathway.

A person in this career:

• Removes hazards and develops appropriate boundaries and rules to create a safe environment for children.
• Instructs and assists children in the development of health and personal habits, such as eating, resting, and toilet behavior.
• Instructs children in safe behavior, such as seeking adult assistance when crossing the street and avoiding contact with unsafe objects.
• Helps prepare and serve nutritionally balanced meals and snacks for children.
• Performs first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) when required.
• Teaches and performs age-appropriate activities, such as lap play, reading, and arts and crafts, to encourage intellectual development of children.
• Models appropriate social behaviors and encourages concern for others to cultivate development of interpersonal relationships and communication skills.
• Observes children's behavior for irregularities, takes temperature, transports children to doctor, or administers medications, as directed, to maintain children's health.
• Regulates children's rest periods and nap schedules.
• Meets regularly with parents to discuss children's activities and development.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 20 lbs., sometimes up to 50 lbs. You might do a lot of lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling.
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching
• Seeing clearly at a distance
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
• Exerting oneself physically over long periods of time without getting out of breath
• Using abdominal and lower back muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring

Work Hours and Travel

• Irregular hours
• Weekend work