What does a child care counselor do?
Child care counselors monitor the progress of children who have behavioral, physical, and mental issues in between counseling appointments. These counselors create daily schedules for children that include field trips, play dates, and learning plans to ensure that children get the most out of their days. They use their critical thinking skills, organizational skills, and interpersonal skills to deal with children diagnosed with psychological issues and to coordinate with their patients' families. Most of the cases they handle are the abuse, bullying, and past traumas of children.
Child care counselor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real child care counselor resumes:
- Train in managing risk and restraining only when need, CPR, and first aid.
- Remain non-denominational, open, flexible and ecumenical in service to patients while also providing additional resources from local spiritual communities.
- Organize and lead regular youth and college bible studies, teaching about prayer and promoting spirituality.
Child care counselor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 21% of Child Care Counselors are proficient in CPR, Child Care, and Behavioral Issues. They’re also known for soft skills such as Emotional skills, Organizational skills, and Problem-solving skills.
We break down the percentage of Child Care Counselors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- CPR, 21%
Participated in professional development training which includes CPR and First Aid training.
- Child Care, 20%
Interviewed potential clients to obtain necessary information to process applications for child care assistance.
- Behavioral Issues, 11%
Maintained documentation for emotional and behavioral issues and tracked progress toward treatment goals.
- Crisis Intervention Techniques, 8%
Practiced crisis intervention techniques and reported client behavior to management and specific social service agencies.
- Direct Supervision, 6%
Distributed medication to children under my direct supervision.
- Mental Health, 5%
Provide supervision and intervention to individuals with behavioral challenges and mental health diagnosis.
Common skills that a child care counselor uses to do their job include "cpr," "child care," and "behavioral issues." You can find details on the most important child care counselor responsibilities below.
Organizational skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling child care counselor duties is organizational skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "social workers must help and manage multiple clients, often assisting with their paperwork or documenting their treatment." According to a child care counselor resume, here's how child care counselors can utilize organizational skills in their job responsibilities: "inventory management for camp supplies, leadership & organizational skills. "
Problem-solving skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of child care counselors is problem-solving skills. This skill is critical to many everyday child care counselor duties, as "social workers must analyze their clients’ complex situations and develop practical solutions." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "train in conflict resolution, part, cpr and first aid. "
Communication skills. A big part of what child care counselors do relies on "communication skills." You can see how essential it is to child care counselor responsibilities because "clients talk to social workers about challenges in their lives." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical child care counselor tasks: "facilitated cottage communication, social skills and anger management groups. "
Interpersonal skills. Another common skill required for child care counselor responsibilities is "interpersonal skills." This skill comes up in the duties of child care counselors all the time, as "social workers must be able to work with different groups of people." An excerpt from a real child care counselor resume shows how this skill is central to what a child care counselor does: "assisted in building healthy interpersonal relationship skills review of treatment plans running therapy groups to assist with their mental health"
The three companies that hire the most child care counselors are:
- YMCA of Greater Richmond4 child care counselors jobs
- North Country School2 child care counselors jobs
- AccentCare1 child care counselors jobs
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Compare different child care counselors
Child care counselor vs. Youth worker
Youth workers specialize in handling and providing support to young individuals with behavioral difficulties. They are primarily responsible for devising recreational projects, handling the budget, producing progress reports, managing intervention programs, and counseling troubled youth while keeping their information confidential. There may be instances where one must also search for opportunities and apply for funding or sponsorship. Furthermore, as a youth worker, it is vital to assess an individual's condition to determine their needs and ensure that they will receive the proper treatment.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, child care counselor responsibilities require skills like "crisis intervention techniques," "stars," "behavior management," and "crisis management." Meanwhile a typical youth worker has skills in areas such as "crisis intervention," "youth development," "support services," and "incident reports." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Youth workers tend to make the most money working in the education industry, where they earn an average salary of $32,651. In contrast, child care counselors make the biggest average salary, $41,472, in the finance industry.The education levels that youth workers earn slightly differ from child care counselors. In particular, youth workers are 2.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a child care counselor. Additionally, they're 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Child care counselor vs. Counselor internship
When it comes to Counselor Internship, among the primary responsibilities is to assist in dealing with various activities such as preparing and verifying necessary documentation, observing consultations and outreach programs, guide clients and help develop multiple helpful strategies, and provide assessments. Furthermore, one can conduct counseling and consultation only under supervision. It is also essential to track the information gathered and coordinate with assigned personnel to adhere to the company's regulations and policies.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real child care counselor resumes. While child care counselor responsibilities can utilize skills like "cpr," "child care," "crisis intervention techniques," and "direct supervision," counselor interns use skills like "crisis intervention," "intake assessments," "substance abuse issues," and "mental health issues."
Counselor interns may earn a higher salary than child care counselors, but counselor interns earn the most pay in the finance industry with an average salary of $51,629. On the other hand, child care counselors receive higher pay in the finance industry, where they earn an average salary of $41,472.In general, counselor interns achieve higher levels of education than child care counselors. They're 11.0% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for child care counselors in the next 3-5 years?
Juleen Buser Ph.D.
Professor and Director, School Counseling and Coaching Programs, Rider University
Child care counselor vs. Community health counselor
A community health counselor typically provides health and welfare support to the disadvantaged members of a community. Their responsibilities revolve around devising strategies to reach out to community members, coordinating with schools and other institutions, and building positive relationships with the communities that they serve. They may also provide counseling sessions to individuals of all ages, conduct observations and assessments, perform interventions, and identify any signs of abuse or neglect, reporting to the authorities right away. Furthermore, they may refer families or individuals to other social services unit if necessary.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a child care counselor is likely to be skilled in "child care," "behavioral issues," "crisis intervention techniques," and "stars," while a typical community health counselor is skilled in "social work," "behavioral health," "patients," and "crisis intervention."
Community health counselors make a very good living in the health care industry with an average annual salary of $41,674. On the other hand, child care counselors are paid the highest salary in the finance industry, with average annual pay of $41,472.When it comes to education, community health counselors tend to earn higher degree levels compared to child care counselors. In fact, they're 14.5% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Child care counselor vs. Student support counselor
A student support counselor is responsible for identifying the students' strengths and challenges through one-on-one counseling and establishing solutions to help them overcome difficulties and achieve their educational goals and aspirations. Student support counselors assist the faculty in determining appropriate programs and activities to develop the students' capabilities, especially as a way of preparing them with their career objectives. They also coordinate with the students' families for extended guidance and support for their growth and development.
Types of child care counselor
Updated January 8, 2025
