How to hire a child care sitter

How to hire a child care sitter, step by step

Here's a step-by-step child care sitter 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 sitter job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new child care sitter
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The child care sitter 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a child care sitter to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a child care sitter that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of child care sitters and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Child Care Sitter	Description	Hourly rate
   Child Care Sitter	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	$10-23
   Kids Club Attendant	Kids club attendants are employees who are responsible for supervising the operations of children's play facilities that are present in fitness centers, resorts, shopping centers, and other businesses. To provide safety and a place of fun, these attendants should supervise the kids who are left by their parents while doing other activities in the establishment... Show more	$8-16
   Day Care Teacher	A Daycare Teacher is a professional who educates young children and toddlers with lessons and daily activities. Daycare Teachers perform various tasks that include grading student assignments and worksheets, encouraging good manners and positive behavior, and stimulating students intellectually using different learning methods such as games and stories... Show more	$10-20

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CPR
   • Kids
   • Child Care
   • Healthy Meals
   • PET
   • Patient Care
   • Meal Preparation
   • Social Development
   • Vital Signs
   • Developmental Problems
   • Food Preparation
   • Quality Care
   • Nutritional Meals
   • Learning Environment

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Perform first aid or CPR when require.
   • Help kids with homework, doing arts and crafts project together and making snacks!
   • Look after children while parents work out, basic first aid and cpr certify, creative and quick thinking ,
   • Provide group and individual behavior support and intervention as trained, including the use of TCI appropriate physical restraint as necessary.
   • Create math, reading, bible, and art lessons.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your child care sitter job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A child care sitter can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, child care sitters' average salary in iowa is 44% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level child care sitters 55% less than senior-level child care sitters.
   • Certifications. A child care sitter with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a child care sitter's salary.

   Average child care sitter salary

   $16.07hourly

   $33,416 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level child care sitter salary

   $22,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 30, 2026

4. Writing a child care sitter job description

   A good child care sitter 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 sitter job description:

   Child care sitter job description example

   *Job Description: * This position will provide well-baby childcare services to service recipients in need of such services with children between 2 weeks and 5 years of age.
   *Primary duties: *
   * Staff will have each service recipient sign in onto the sign in sheet for each specific day with information such as the time child(ren) came into childcare services, service recipient's name, child(ren) name including any nicknames as appropriate, age(s), pick-up time and signature.
   * Staff will receive infants for childcare that are at least 2 weeks old and medically cleared by their Pediatrician.
   * Staff will place child(ren) in appropriate place for careful watch such as baby bed, infant carrier, bean bag, child's chair etc. without any excessive holding.
   * Staff will collect and document a projected next feeding time for infants with approximate number of ounces to feed from service recipient.
   * Staff shall immediately report any bizarre or unusual behavior displaced by any child, any new or fresh marks, scratches, bruises and/or injuries to supervisor and presence of mother.
   * Staff shall make sure all feeding items are properly labeled with the child(ren)'s name to reduce using wrong feeding item to wrong child.
   * Staff will use protected gloves when changing and handling dirty diapers etc. Each dirty diaper should be disposed of by placing in a plastic bag provided and each plastic bag will be placed in a larger garbage bag before being placed in the outside dumpster at the end of the day.
   * Staff will ensure older children view age appropriate material during their stay.
   * Staff will refresh and clean childcare area at the end of each day as preparation for the next day services.
   * Other duties as requested or assigned.
   *Minimum requirements*: Must have a high school diploma or GED. Must possess skills to manage both infants and toddlers within a confined area. Must be able to pass a background and fingerprint check.
   
   *Physical requirements*: Must be able to lift up to 50lbs.
   
   Job Types: Full-time, Part-time
   
   Pay: $9.00 per hour
   
   Schedule:
   * Monday to Friday
   
   Work Location: One location

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find child care sitters 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 sitter job on Zippia to find and recruit child care sitter candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting child care sitters requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 sitter

   Once you've decided on a perfect child care sitter candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new child care sitter. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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