How to hire a child care provider

How to hire a child care provider, step by step

Here's a step-by-step child care provider hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a child care provider job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new child care provider
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a child care provider do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The child care provider hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A child care provider's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, child care providers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of child care provider salaries for various roles:

   Type of Child Care Provider	Description	Hourly rate
   Child Care Provider	Childcare workers provide care for children when parents and other family members are unavailable. They attend to children’s basic needs, such as bathing and feeding... Show more	$11-22
   Toddler Teacher	A toddler teacher is responsible for teaching young learners by administering physical care and monitoring their social and mental development. Toddler teachers prepare fun and engaging activities for the children and evaluate their behaviors and assess how they interact with the environment... Show more	$11-18
   Baby Sitter	A Baby Sitter is responsible for the welfare and safety of children while their parents or guardian are away. The tasks will vary on the age, behavior, or needs of the children... Show more	$10-21

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Nutritional Meals
   • Child Care
   • CPR
   • Homework Assignments
   • Social Development
   • Applied Behavior Analysis
   • Child Development
   • Meal Preparation
   • Learning Environment
   • Developmental Problems
   • Clean Environment
   • Quality Care
   • Healthy Meals
   • Emotional Development

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Provide first aid and CPR, prevention of the spread of blood borne pathogens and access of emergency services as needed.
   • Maintain necessary documentation for licensing as well as certifications including CPR.
   • Complete accurate and timely documentation on kids' behavior as outlined by policy.
   • Accumulate early childhood experience through daily interactions and continual training sessions.

   More child care provider duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your child care provider job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A child care provider salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, child care providers' average salary in mississippi is 48% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level child care providers earn 51% less than senior-level child care providers.
   • Certifications. A child care provider with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a child care provider's salary.

   Average child care provider salary

   $15.94hourly

   $33,145 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level child care provider salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 18, 2026

   Average child care provider salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$44,215	$21
   2	California	$41,838	$20
   3	Rhode Island	$34,996	$17
   4	Oregon	$34,254	$16
   5	District of Columbia	$32,431	$16
   6	Arizona	$32,290	$16
   7	Colorado	$32,109	$15
   8	Ohio	$31,145	$15
   9	Michigan	$30,601	$15
   10	Utah	$29,520	$14
   11	Texas	$28,668	$14
   12	Maryland	$28,661	$14
   13	Virginia	$28,537	$14
   14	North Carolina	$28,044	$13
   15	Missouri	$27,681	$13
   16	Montana	$26,489	$13
   17	Pennsylvania	$25,711	$12
   18	Florida	$25,181	$12
   19	Alabama	$24,421	$12

   Average child care provider salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	CARE	$37,217	$17.89	120
   2	Educational Opportunities for Children and Families	$36,798	$17.69
   3	Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains	$34,819	$16.74	4
   4	LifeWorks	$34,790	$16.73	7
   5	NCH Healthcare System	$34,631	$16.65
   6	Children's of Alabama	$33,896	$16.30
   7	Central City Concern	$33,339	$16.03	5
   8	Earth Fare	$33,261	$15.99	1
   9	Archdiocese Of San Antonio	$33,141	$15.93	9
   10	Kelly Services	$32,295	$15.53	4
   11	Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare	$32,252	$15.51	4
   12	Right At School	$31,999	$15.38
   13	Grandville Public Schools	$31,953	$15.36
   14	LifeWorks NW	$31,948	$15.36
   15	Seattle Children's Healthcare System	$31,665	$15.22	11
   16	Children's Hospital of Philadelphia	$31,522	$15.15	35
   17	Intermountain Healthcare	$31,462	$15.13	17
   18	The Center for Health Care Services	$31,384	$15.09	8
   19	Children's Hospital of Michigan	$31,077	$14.94	9
   20	Skyline Education, Inc	$31,054	$14.93

4. Writing a child care provider job description

   A good child care provider job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a child care provider job description:

   Child care provider job description example

   Love kids?
   
   Looking for a part time position that enables you to make an impact on your community?
   
   Join our team!
   
   NOW HIRING FOR FALL 2022 PROGRAMS!
   
   As an Educator with Right At School, you'll have a positive impact on students, parents and schools in your local community! Be a part of an organization that is changing the game in before and after school care!
   
   We provide our team of educators with the best training and development in the afterschool child care profession! With our innovative online and in person trainings, 99% of employees feel confident and effective just one month into their work. You will have access to our 300+ training modules in our online library, and pay increases based on your voluntary development.
   
   We are having open interviews for the role. To schedule a virtual interview, please apply.
   
   As an Educator, you will:
   
   Partner with the Program Manager to deliver dynamic Right At School curriculum, support homework completion, lead fun fitness activities and guide children safely through all activities.
   
   Engage youth in academic and social enrichment activities that expand & enhance school day learning in a meaningful way. Some tasks associated with this role can be more physical in nature as you are interacting with children and they keep you on your toes.
   
   Be asked to kneel, run, to lift up to 25 lbs and have a lot of fun while doing so.
   
   Actively partner and communicate effectively with parents in order to provide the best child care for their children.
   
   Model positive behaviors as you sit with children to help with learning, walk around to manage the classroom and maintain safety and stay active throughout the day while leading activities.
   
   Organize program materials for lessons and activities, as well as document attendance, incidents, and other observation.
   
   Regularly check in with the Program Manager regarding personal and child performance metrics
   
   Requirements
   
   High school diploma/GED required
   
   Teachers who have experience working with children AND/OR college credits in early childhood/elementary/related field
   
   Outstanding customer service and relationship building skills
   
   Individuals who work well in a team environment
   
   Excellent communication skills with varied audience including children, parents, staff and school personnel
   
   Ability to meet state-specific requirements; FA/CPR, Mandated Reporter, Cleared TB
   
   Respect for and dedication to working with children with special needs
   
   A love for children!
   
   Benefits
   
   Opportunity to make a difference in your community and positively impact families
   
   Ongoing professional development with pay raise incentives
   
   Provide meaningful fun and employ Disguised Learning
   
   Flexible working hours aligned with school schedules
   
   An online and mobile HR platform where you can access your info with easy-to-use tech 24/7
   
   Competitive compensation and benefits, including: free before and after school childcare, commuter benefits, supplemental insurance (short term disability, life insurance, etc.) based on eligibility
   
   One of our core values is being “locally-inspired.” We will follow the guidance of our State and school district level partners in regard to any COVID-19 vaccination and/or testing requirements they may put in place. In some areas this may mean that employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to work in schools (except where medical or religious exemptions may apply). Employees are also required to wear masks at all times during work hours, regardless of vaccination status.
   
   Here at Right At School, our commitment to equal opportunity runs deep. We really mean that. In order to achieve our goals, we need to work hard to create a diverse workforce so we can reach as many students, parents, and schools as possible. We embrace the uniqueness in everyone and we encourage each individual to be their true selves. Your age, skin color, beliefs, sexual orientation, nationality, disability, parental status, vet status, gender identity are valued here. We do not stand for discrimination or harassment of any kind. Come as you are.
   
   #IL1
   
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find child care providers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your child care provider job on Zippia to find and recruit child care provider candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with child care provider candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new child care provider

   Once you've selected the best child care provider candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new child care provider. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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