How to hire a day care provider

How to hire a day care provider, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the day care provider you need to hire. Certain day care provider roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A day care provider's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, day 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of day care providers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Day Care Provider	Description	Hourly rate
   Day 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	$10-21
   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
   Floater Teacher	A floating teacher is in charge of teaching in various rooms and buildings, unlike most teachers with fixed room assignments. There are also instances where they teach at different schools... Show more	$10-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Child Care
   • Nutritional Meals
   • CPR
   • Quality Care
   • Direct Care
   • State Regulations
   • Social Development
   • Child Development
   • Learning Environment
   • Educational Environment
   • Healthy Meals
   • Clean Environment
   • Developmental Problems
   • Meal Planning

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Up hold all CPR and Minnesota regulate certifications.
   • Deliver patient belongings and information as well as provided exceptional assistance to patients and their families.
   • Create math, reading, bible, and art lessons.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, day care providers' average salary in mississippi is 50% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level day care providers earn 52% less than senior-level day care providers.
   • Certifications. A day 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 day care provider's salary.

   Average day care provider salary

   $14.98hourly

   $31,164 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level day care provider salary

   $21,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 29, 2026

4. Writing a day care provider job description

   A day care provider 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a day care provider job description:

   Day care provider job description example

   8:00pm-8:30am

   Springfield, MO

   $13.00-13.50/HR

   Sutton In-Home Senior Care - We provide one-on-one companion care to the elderly, disabled Veterans, Alzheimer's and Dementia care patients needing assistance while recovering from surgery or an unexpected illness, all while remaining in the comfort and safety of home.

   Shift Requirements : Client needs supervision and transfer assist as needed

   • 1 year Caregiving Experience
   • Light transfer assistance
   • Light housekeeping
   • Companion Care
   • Meal Preparation
   • Medication Reminders

   These are all things that we can assist seniors with that enable them to stay in their homes.

   Not only are you changing the lives of others - we as a company want our caregivers to change the industry.

   Benefits:

   • Employee Appreciation- Caregiver Coffee Meet-Ups/ Gifts
   • Ongoing Employee Enrichment Training (Paid)
   • Direct Deposit Every Friday
   • Employee Bonuses
   • Field Support Supervisor to support staff and clients
   • Health Insurance- 50/50 Paid by Employer
   • Holiday Pay
   • Mileage
   • NO 2-hour road warrior shifts

   Apply today!! We are looking for the best caregivers in town to service clients in Springfield, Ozark, Nixa, Rogersville and surrounding areas.

   Join Sutton In-Home Senior Care- Go where you are appreciated!!

   We look forward to hearing from you!

   Brooke and Jennifer

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find day care providers 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 day care providers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level day care providers 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 day care provider job on Zippia to find and recruit day 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 day 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 day care provider

   Once you've decided on a perfect day care provider 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.

   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.

   To prepare for the new day care provider first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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