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Parent educator vs child care center director

The differences between parent educators and child care center directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a parent educator and a child care center director. Additionally, a child care center director has an average salary of $66,949, which is higher than the $38,992 average annual salary of a parent educator.

The top three skills for a parent educator include child development, social work and community resources. The most important skills for a child care center director are patient care, professional development, and child development.

Parent educator vs child care center director overview

Parent EducatorChild Care Center Director
Yearly salary$38,992$66,949
Hourly rate$18.75$32.19
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs7,183109,279
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age4747
Years of experience44

What does a parent educator do?

A parent educator is an individual who specializes in tutoring parents on skills to help them raise children who are healthy and well-rounded. You will help parents learn the skills they may need to raise children who are healthy emotionally, psychologically, and physically. Parent educators can work as social workers employed by a public agency, in schools and childcare centers, or can be self-employed counselors who specialize in child care and parenting skills.

What does a child care center director do?

Child care center directors lead the staff, supervise daily activities, prepare budgets, and design program plans that will help children learn in a fun way. Their usual tasks include meeting with parents and teachers to get updates on the students' improvement, making sure that the center is a clean and safe environment for children to be in, and hiring new staff members. Fulfilling the job requires a person to have good communication skills, interpersonal skills, and organizational skills.

Parent educator vs child care center director salary

Parent educators and child care center directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Parent EducatorChild Care Center Director
Average salary$38,992$66,949
Salary rangeBetween $28,000 And $52,000Between $33,000 And $135,000
Highest paying CityAllentown, PA-
Highest paying stateRhode Island-
Best paying companyEasterseals-
Best paying industryProfessional-

Differences between parent educator and child care center director education

There are a few differences between a parent educator and a child care center director in terms of educational background:

Parent EducatorChild Care Center Director
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common majorPsychologyEarly Childhood Education
Most common collegeCalifornia State University - Long BeachUniversity of Pennsylvania

Parent educator vs child care center director demographics

Here are the differences between parent educators' and child care center directors' demographics:

Parent EducatorChild Care Center Director
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 9.0% Female, 91.0%Male, 16.2% Female, 83.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 4.4% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.3% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage16%16%

Differences between parent educator and child care center director duties and responsibilities

Parent educator example responsibilities.

  • Provide assistance for patients navigating government and community agencies.
  • Provide and assist in a variety of parenting classes, including CPR and health classes.
  • Develop courses, and provide training for infant CPR and newborn care for expectant parents.
  • Maintain effective verbal and written communication with clients, DCS case managers, teachers, adjustment councilors, and probation officers.
  • Support parents throughout pregnancy until their children enter kindergarten.
  • Advocate and encourage community coalition to support at-risk families.
  • Show more

Child care center director example responsibilities.

  • Manage curriculum along with school budget, accounts receivable and payables.
  • Budget preparation/administration, record maintenance, purchasing, payroll, supervision of staff, development and administration of policies and procedures.
  • Establish and facilitate implementation of facility CQI program.

Parent educator vs child care center director skills

Common parent educator skills
  • Child Development, 17%
  • Social Work, 12%
  • Community Resources, 12%
  • Mental Health, 6%
  • Family Support, 4%
  • Child Abuse, 4%
Common child care center director skills
  • Patient Care, 16%
  • Professional Development, 9%
  • Child Development, 8%
  • CPR, 6%
  • Payroll, 5%
  • Educational Programs, 5%

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