How long does it take to become a Daycare Provider Assistant?

It takes one year or less to become a daycare provider assistant. That is the time it takes to learn specific daycare provider assistant skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 4 to 6 years years to become a daycare provider assistant.

What is a daycare provider assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Laura Schroeder

A daycare provider assistant is an individual who works in a daycare center alongside a lead teacher to provide care for young children. They help plan and lead educational activities that promote cognitive, social, and emotional development. A daycare provider assistant may also be responsible for maintaining a clean and safe environment, changing diapers, and communicating with parents about their child's progress. They must have strong communication skills, patience, and a love for working with children.

What general advice would you give to a daycare provider assistant?

Laura Schroeder

President, International Nanny Association

Young graduates will need to have some knowledge or experience in early childhood education, as help with the school day has become an important part of a nanny's job since the pandemic. They also must be able to work independently and be self motivated as their bosses will likely not be on site. There are jobs for nannies all over the U.S., but the best paying jobs tend to be in wealthier areas and larger cities, for example L.A., San Francisco, Seattle and Boston.

ScoreDaycare Provider AssistantUS Average

Salary

2.3

Avg. Salary $29,882

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.7

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.04%

Asian 7.08%

Black or African American 8.63%

Hispanic or Latino 19.99%

Unknown 6.24%

White 57.02%

Gender

female 85.13%

male 14.87%

Age - 35

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 35

Stress level

6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

3.7

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance

10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a daycare provider assistant?

Pros

Opportunity to work with children and positively impact their lives
Fulfilling work that can provide a sense of purpose
Chance to develop skills in communication, organization, and problem-solving
Opportunities for advancement in the field of early childhood education
Ability to create fun and engaging activities for children

Cons

May involve exposure to illness or challenging behavior from children
Can be emotionally taxing, including dealing with separation anxiety or difficult home situations for children
Low pay compared to other professions and often limited benefits
Can be noisy and chaotic, leading to stress or fatigue

Key steps to become a daycare provider assistant

Explore daycare provider assistant education requirements

Most common daycare provider assistant degrees

High School Diploma

35.0 %

Bachelor's

31.3 %

Associate

18.7 %

Start to develop specific daycare provider assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
Child Care	60.39%
Kids	10.66%
CPR	7.53%
Homework Assignments	2.90%
Learning Environment	2.34%

Complete relevant daycare provider assistant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New daycare provider assistants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a daycare provider assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real daycare provider assistant resumes.

Gain additional daycare provider assistant certifications

Daycare provider assistant certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific daycare provider assistant certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for daycare provider assistants include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.

More About Certifications

Research daycare provider assistant duties and responsibilities

Practice emergency fire evacuation and basic first aid procedures; certify in pediatric, infant, and adult CPR.
Fulfill all childcare duties such as dressing, changing diapers, training in CPR, water safety and fire safety
Administer programs to promote educational programs such as ABC'S , 123'S colors, shapes, reading books etc.
Read books and play with toddlers, put kids down for nap time, provide meals for children throughout the day.

Prepare your daycare provider assistant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your daycare provider assistant resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a daycare provider assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable daycare provider assistant resume templates

Build a professional daycare provider assistant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your daycare provider assistant resume.

Apply for daycare provider assistant jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a daycare provider assistant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do daycare provider assistants rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

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1 star

Daycare provider assistant reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2022

Pros

I love working with kids

Cons

Working with kids means sometimes it can get overwhelming

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2022

Cons

I honestly can’t complain because there was nothing I ever didn’t enjoy being a babysitter infact I want to work at w children’s hospital when I graduate and make the kids smile and happy

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2022