Childcare Workers

What the job really is

Attend to children at schools, businesses, private households, and childcare institutions. Perform a variety of tasks, such as dressing, feeding, bathing, and overseeing play.

At a glance

• Sector: Personal Care & Service
• O*NET-SOC code: 39-9011
• O*NET job zone: 2 — some preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Maintain a safe play environment.
• Observe and monitor children's play activities.
• Communicate with children's parents or guardians about daily activities, behaviors, and related issues.
• Support children's emotional and social development, encouraging understanding of others and positive self-concepts.
• Care for children in institutional setting, such as group homes, nursery schools, private businesses, or schools for people with disabilities.
• Sanitize toys and play equipment.
• Dress children and change diapers.
• Keep records on individual children, including daily observations and information about activities, meals served, and medications administered.
• Identify signs of emotional or developmental problems in children and bring them to parents' or guardians' attention.
• Instruct children in health and personal habits, such as eating, resting, and toilet habits.
• Organize and store toys and materials to ensure order in activity areas.
• Perform general administrative tasks, such as taking attendance, editing internal paperwork, and making phone calls.

Tools and technology

Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Word, Alarms, Baby bottles, Child car safety seats, Climbing structures, Desktop computers, Dryers, Educational software, Educational toys, Emergency first aid kits, Fire extingushers

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education
• Nannies
• Personal Care Aides
• Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education
• Home Health Aides
• Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education
• Health Education Specialists
• Special Education Teachers, Secondary School

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 2 (some preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

Browse the verified job sources directory, or explore more occupations.

Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Childcare Workers — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.