How long does it take to become an In-Home Childcare Provider?

It takes 2 years of professional experience to become an in-home childcare provider. That is the time it takes to learn specific in-home childcare provider 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 5 to 7 years years to become an in-home childcare provider.

How To Become An In-Home Childcare Provider: What It Is and Career Path

What is an in-home childcare provider and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Laura Schroeder

An in-home child care provider takes care of children in their home. The age of the children may vary from toddlers to preschool-age, and sometimes they might take on the care of several kids at the same time, but the number is always very limited.

In-home child care providers supervise the children and prepare their meals, attend to their hygiene, and make sure they are well-rested. They come up with fun activities and educational games, play outside with the children, and generally offer every activity a child would do at a public daycare center. The only difference is that, in this case, the children are fewer, they are in a more familiar and secure setting, and they receive the undivided attention of the care provider.

You should consider this job if you are patient and caring, if you are not intimidated by dirty diapers and capricious kiddies, and if you do not mind giving detailed daily reports on the behavior of the children to worried parents. Oh, and if you love children, of course.

What general advice would you give to an in-home childcare provider?

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.

ScoreIn-Home Childcare ProviderUS Average

Salary

2.5

Avg. Salary $32,161

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.7

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.99%

Asian 6.71%

Black or African American 8.19%

Hispanic or Latino 18.47%

Unknown 6.12%

White 59.52%

Gender

female 90.37%

male 9.63%

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

Key steps to become an in-home childcare provider

Explore in-home childcare provider education requirements

Most common in-home childcare provider degrees

Bachelor's

34.4 %

High School Diploma

29.7 %

Associate

20.0 %

Start to develop specific in-home childcare provider skills

Skills	Percentages
Nutritional Meals	30.91%
Child Care	17.27%
Homework Assignments	10.11%
CPR	9.63%
Social Development	4.71%

Complete relevant in-home childcare provider training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New in-home childcare providers 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 an in-home childcare provider based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real in-home childcare provider resumes.

Gain additional in-home childcare provider certifications

In-home childcare provider 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 in-home childcare provider certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for in-home childcare providers include Child Development Associate (CDA) and First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor.

More About Certifications

Research in-home childcare provider duties and responsibilities

Provide childcare services for children of gym members -Offered discipline through re-direction when need -Obtained keep updated first aid & CPR certifications
Educate the children on ABC s, counting numbers, colors and shapes.
Administer learning materials, provide one-on-on tutoring and supervise kids during time of play.
Prepare USDA approve meals, plan outings, education, structure free play, and hygiene care.

Prepare your in-home childcare provider resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your in-home childcare provider 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 an in-home childcare provider resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable in-home childcare provider resume templates

Build a professional in-home childcare provider 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 in-home childcare provider resume.

Apply for in-home childcare provider jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an in-home childcare provider 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 in-home childcare providers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

In-home childcare provider 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

Pros

I love being a role model telling the kids stories making them lunch coloring and drawing with them and making them happy and laugh

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 Mar 2020

Cons

Wild non trained. Once a lifetime into groomers..biters. wiggly , jumpers., Barker's non stop clients who can't understand why you take so long or understand why we do some of things we have to do.

What is an in-home childcare provider and how to become one

What general advice would you give to an in-home childcare provider?

In-home childcare provider career paths

Key steps to become an in-home childcare provider

Explore in-home childcare provider education requirements

Most common in-home childcare provider degrees

Start to develop specific in-home childcare provider skills

Complete relevant in-home childcare provider training and internships

Gain additional in-home childcare provider certifications

Research in-home childcare provider duties and responsibilities

Prepare your in-home childcare provider resume

Choose from 10+ customizable in-home childcare provider resume templates

Apply for in-home childcare provider jobs

How did you land your first in-home childcare provider job

Average in-home childcare provider salary

How do in-home childcare providers rate their job?

In-home childcare provider reviews

In-home childcare provider FAQs

How long does it take to become an In-Home Childcare Provider?

Search for in-home childcare provider jobs

In-home childcare provider jobs by state