How to hire a childcare specialist

How to hire a childcare specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step childcare specialist hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The childcare specialist 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 childcare specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, childcare specialists 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.

   This list presents childcare specialist salaries for various positions.

   Type of Childcare Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Childcare Specialist	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	$12-23
   Day Camp Counselor	The job of the camp counselors is to develop recreational plans and oversee camp activities in residential camps. Their duties and responsibilities include organizing camping trips, planning and scheduling group activities, and guiding children and teenagers in various outdoor activities such as swimming and hiking... Show more	$9-21
   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:

   • CPR
   • Child Development
   • Direct Supervision
   • Learning Environment
   • Food Preparation
   • Therapeutic Crisis
   • Quality Care
   • Incident Reports
   • Direct Care
   • Social Development
   • Administrative Tasks
   • Developmental Problems
   • Child Abuse
   • Healthy Environment

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Deliver patient belongings and information as well as provided exceptional assistance to patients and their families.
   • Maintain nutritional guidelines consistent with USDA guidelines

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, childcare specialists' average salary in alaska is 52% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level childcare specialists earn 47% less than senior-level childcare specialists.
   • Certifications. A childcare specialist 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 childcare specialist's salary.

   Average childcare specialist salary

   $36,133yearly

   $17.37 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level childcare specialist salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

4. Writing a childcare specialist job description

   A childcare specialist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a childcare specialist job description:

   Childcare specialist job description example

   • High School diploma
   • 1+ years of experience working with children, or 24+ college credits completed in a related field of study
   • Valid driver's license & reliable vehicle
   • Web Enabled Device (laptop or tablet)
   • Positive attitude and strong people skills to work with children and families

   Compensation:

   • $17.00 - $18.00 per hour based on experience, education, and certifications

   SCHEDULE:

   • Part-Time & Full Time (30+ hrs/week) available
   • Part Time schedules must have availability at least 3 weekdays with the same availability
   • Full Time schedules require availability Mon-Fri during regular daytime working hours
   • Schedules and hours will be confirmed during training, and staff will be matched with clients based on their schedule availability and proximity to available clients

   Benefits:

   Our team members may be eligible for the following benefits:

   • Coursework and Competency Check to obtain the Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) certification.
   • Drive time pay between sessions
   • University partnership & tuition assistance for eligible employees
   • Supervision towards BCBA credential available

   Growth and Development:

   Our Child Interventionist will complete training to become a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT). RBTs are 'helping professionals' that teach children affected by autism important life skills. RBTs work on goals such as functional communication, socializing with peers, and sharing with others. Butterfly Effects' RBTs receive training to make a meaningful change in the life of a child and their family.

   Physical Demands:

   Working with clients in their natural environments may require you to lift or move approximately 50 lbs. and be able to assume and maintain a variety of postures (kneeling, squatting, sitting, standing) for extended periods of time.

   Who are we?

   Butterfly Effects has served more than 10,000 families since our inception in 2005. We have a long history of improving the lives of children and families affected by autism spectrum disorder through our family-centric applied behavior analysis (ABA) approach. Our mission is to deliver ABA treatment in partnership with families affected by autism to foster a more joyous life.

   A national leader in autism treatment, Butterfly Effects employs more than 100 board-certified behavior analysts (BCBA) and 800 behavior technicians. The 12 states we serve are locally managed by a regional director and team of BCBAs. Our corporate office located in Deerfield Beach, Florida is home to our leadership team and administrative staff who assist with daily operations, including client services, human resources, talent acquisition, finance, revenue cycle management, quality assurance, compliance, professional development, and professional ethics.

   Our butterfly logo was chosen as a symbol of love, rebirth, and metamorphosis. Together, the name and logo represent our common purpose and deep commitment to helping families create lasting change through individualized ABA therapy.

   For more information, please visit www.butterflyeffects.com.

   #INDNOLA

   
   
   

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5. Post your job

   To find childcare specialists for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any childcare specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level childcare specialists with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit childcare specialists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   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 childcare specialist

   Once you've selected the best childcare specialist 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 important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new childcare specialist. 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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