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Parent educator vs child care director

The differences between parent educators and child care 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 director. Additionally, a parent educator has an average salary of $38,992, which is higher than the $37,471 average annual salary of a child care director.

The top three skills for a parent educator include child development, social work and community resources. The most important skills for a child care director are customer service, childhood, and critical care.

Parent educator vs child care director overview

Parent EducatorChild Care Director
Yearly salary$38,992$37,471
Hourly rate$18.75$18.01
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs7,18379,105
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 56%
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 director do?

Child care directors manage the staff at a child care center. Their responsibilities include guiding and supporting their teaching staff and creating an environment where parents and children will feel secured and well taught. They provide their staff with constructive criticisms and suggest action plans on how they can improve. Directors continuously research new techniques to be used in educating, communicating, and rearing a child. To be an effective leader to the staff, parents, and children, they should have good communication skills and exceptional interpersonal skills.

Parent educator vs child care director salary

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

Parent EducatorChild Care Director
Average salary$38,992$37,471
Salary rangeBetween $28,000 And $52,000Between $24,000 And $57,000
Highest paying CityAllentown, PAEaston, PA
Highest paying stateRhode IslandPennsylvania
Best paying companyEastersealsAnthem
Best paying industryProfessional-

Differences between parent educator and child care director education

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

Parent EducatorChild Care Director
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common majorPsychologyEarly Childhood Education
Most common collegeCalifornia State University - Long BeachUniversity of Southern California

Parent educator vs child care director demographics

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

Parent EducatorChild Care Director
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 9.0% Female, 91.0%Male, 16.9% Female, 83.1%
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, 11.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 4.3% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage16%16%

Differences between parent educator and child care 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 director example responsibilities.

  • Manage care for k-5 kids before and after school.
  • Establish cooperative relationship with state/regional USDA CACFP office.
  • Require to acquire CPR, first aid, a training.
  • Develop compliance and audit program for Medicare.
  • Certify medication & CPR, maintain portfolio for each student
  • Charge clients for daycare payments and merchandise using POS system.
  • Show more

Parent educator vs child care 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 director skills
  • Customer Service, 19%
  • Childhood, 10%
  • Critical Care, 9%
  • Child Development, 8%
  • Quality Care, 7%
  • CPR, 6%

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