What Does a Childcare Worker Do?
Parents who drop off a baby or preschooler on the way to work are trusting someone to keep that child safe, fed and busy all day. Childcare workers earn that trust in childcare centers, preschools and home-based programs, where they feed and change infants, supervise play indoors and out and tell parents at pickup how the day went.
Also known as: Child Development Aide
Childcare Worker Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a childcare worker include:
- Supervise infants, toddlers or preschoolers indoors and outdoors, keeping every child in sight.
- Change diapers, help with toilet training and keep hand-washing routines consistent.
- Prepare and serve meals and snacks that follow allergy lists and feeding plans.
- Lead songs, stories, art and outdoor play planned around each age group.
- Record meals, naps, diapers and milestones in a daily report for parents.
- Settle children for naps and check sleeping infants as often as state rules require.
- Sanitize toys, cribs and surfaces on a daily cleaning schedule.
- Tell parents at pickup about the child's day, including any injuries or worries.
- Watch for signs of illness, developmental delays or possible abuse and report them properly.
- Comfort upset children and help them learn to share, wait their turn and use words.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a childcare worker, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Infant and child CPR and first aid
- Patience and a calm voice
- Knowledge of early childhood development stages
- Safe sleep practices for infants
- Parent communication apps such as Brightwheel or Procare
- Stamina for lifting, bending and floor play
- Mandated reporter training
- Progress toward a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential
Education and Training
A background check is required in most states before a new worker can start. Beyond that, the usual minimum is a high school diploma, and the first weeks of training happen on the job. Newcomers who hold a Child Development Associate credential or have taken early childhood classes at a community college begin a step ahead, and campus child development centers often prefer staff studying early childhood education.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $29,360 - $38,570 per year, with a median of $34,980.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Childcare Workers.
BLS projects employment of childcare workers to decline about 2 percent from 2025 to 2035. Even so, high turnover in the field should leave roughly 150,300 openings a year. And, as long as parents work, trained caregivers will be needed to make sure young children are safe, fed and learning.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Childcare workers.