In these recession times, daycare jobs have been hit hard as nannies and babysitters continue their struggle in finding child care jobs. With job cuts increasing every day, part time nannies are losing their jobs and part time day cares are continually losing business. While families regret letting go of trustworthy nannies and babysitters, finding affordable childcare has become a higher priority for them. Jobs in daycare are at an all time low and are projected to remain that way until we come out of this recession. A child care career, although rewarding, does seem a little hard right now.

Recession Hits Part Time Day Care

We are all experiencing financial woes due to our current weak economy and fewer families are choosing a nanny day care for their children. However, daycare jobs have been hit especially hard with this recession. Part time child care centers and individual nannies and babysitters are losing jobs and clients they have had for years. When one member of a family gets laid off, they stay at home to take care of the kids as this is the most affordable child care. However, this would mean letting go of your nanny or cutting down on hours at part time day cares. Since last year, daycares have lost huge percentages of their clients and nanny hiring agencies all over the US have also confirmed that the hiring is really slowing down. More and more nannies call them regularly to find daycare jobs as they keep getting laid off. Enrollment at nanny day cares is so low that many of them have had to close their doors.

Part Time Nannies & Nanny Day Cares Suffering

It has been a mental and financial nightmare for daycares and part time nannies who are losing their jobs. For most, this is their only source of income and the recession is leaving them penniless as families switch to cheaper alternatives. While many lose their jobs altogether, others see hours cut and incentives taken away. Nanny jobs came with bonuses like a month of paid leave, paid holiday in Europe, and a place to stay. With the fallen economy, these incentives are no longer being offered to part time nannies. Moreover, they are being asked to assist in housecleaning and are having their pay rates slashed. The luxuries that they once enjoyed have been snatched away from them so that families can make their childcare affordable. Part time child care centers have also experienced hardships. The impact of the recession is felt by not only the families and day care centers, but also by the workers at the daycares. Daycare jobs are also being affected as staff members and cleaning crew are being laid off to keep the facility from going under.

This recession is contributing to a severe depression in the childcare industry. People with jobs at daycares are suffering greatly due to the several layoffs. Finding child care jobs is becoming increasingly difficult and part time nannies and daycares are bearing the brunt of it. While families accept inferior quality but affordable childcare, nannies and daycares scramble to find new jobs to keep them going.

References:

1. Recession squeezes day care from both sides – MSNBC

Taking Childcare for Granted

While child carers naturally develop a bond with the children they care for, it is still a job for them. When parents take it for granted that the child carer will look after the child even after center hours, or on holidays, they are not respecting the childcare professional. If a childcare center is willing to perform these kind of duties, parents should be willing to pay for the extra time of the employees of the center.

Payments of Childcare Bills

Treating childcare centers like babysitters is a mistake many parents make. The center is a business, and must collect payments in time to meet other overheads and costs, as well as pay salaries. When employees are not happy, it affects the children at the center, so make sure you make your payments in time.

Childcare and Housekeeping Duties

Children can be messy and need to be looked after. During learning games and constructive play, children often end up with soiled clothes and shoes. However, child carers cannot be expected to rinse mud and paint stains off clothes and send back clean lunch-boxes. In addition, parents should teach children to behave the same at the childcare center as they would in their own house; i.e no littering, flushing the toilet after use, etc.

Childcare and Parents

There are some lines between child care providers and parents that should not be crossed. Child carers may be very familiar with a child and family; this does not allow parents to make payments late, to involve child carers in family disputes, or ask for babysitting favors.

Open Communication and Childcare

It is most important for parents and child care providers to develop a stream of communication in which both sides understand and respect the needs of the other. Making unreasonable demands is not excusable. Parents need to keep in mind that there are other children at the center and the providers will do their best to provide care as good as home care.

Also, childcare centers take time to create and distribute brochures, pamphlets and rule books, as well as design contracts that care for the best interests of the family, the child and the center. Parents will be expected to read these contracts carefully before agreeing to anything.

Childcare Expectations

Parents need to talk to child care professionals before signing up for their services so that they reach a full understanding of the discipline methods and principles followed by the center. A childcare provider will have to control unruly behavior in children, and parents should discuss the methods of discipline.  Specifications about health problems, allergies and special instructions need to be discussed at this point to understand if the center is able to provide this.

Parents cannot expect unreasonable services such as not allowing children to mingle with certain other children, or particular religious training. There may be other child care centers that cater to these requirements as part of their profile, and parents should consider these centers instead.

Tantrums about food usually start when a child is aged between 18 and 24 months. At this age, children are already used to various kinds of food and begin choosing the ones they consider tastier. When parents limit the so called “harmful” foods that a children love, it simply increases the child’s desire for and predilection towards the particular food. Forcing children to eat healthy food will only make them more unwilling to eat it and offering them sweets, junk food or other “unhealthy” food as treats will only make the healthy meal even less attractive.

Child psychology experts advise parents to deal with their children patiently when trying to introduce new food to them. Frequent introduction of the new healthy variety of food will help the child gradually ease into their new diet.

In addition to being patient and non-forceful, some of these tips may be useful when dealing with children who refuse to eat healthy food.

• Don’t make eating a chore and concentrate on keeping meal times pleasant so it does not become unbearable for your child. If your child refuses a meal, let it go and do not make too big a deal out of it.
• Role models have a great influence on children and they will be more willing to try new kinds of food if they see their parents, siblings or peers enjoying the same food. It is important for the family to sit down together at meal time so that younger children can see their older siblings and parents enjoy healthy meals.
• When you introduce new kinds of food into a child’s diet of the child, do so persistently. Continue to encourage them to try the new healthy food without forcing them.
• The best way to make your child eat healthy food is by means of presentation. For example, you can make use of colorful sauces to decorate the food plate with cute smiley faces or any kind of cartoon that attracts your child. This will create a level of interest in the child and will also increase the child’s excitement at meal times.
• Do not ban unhealthy foods entirely or your child will become even more resentful about eating nutritious food. Allow them to indulge within limits.
• Rewards work well with children and could be a good way to encourage them to adopt a healthy diet. However instead of offering sweets or junk food as reward, it is better to offer an inedible prize like a toy. This is so the child continues to eat healthy without getting addicted to an unhealthy diet at the same time.

There is a thin line between being firm and being coercive and somehow parents need to magically figure out how to walk this tightrope while trying to introduce their children to a healthy and nutritious foods.

Working with children can be very rewarding, there is nothing like the satisfaction of watching a child improve in skills that you have helped them with. Quality care and play for children up to the age of 14 makes a huge impact on a child’s life and no other career can give you the satisfaction of knowing you played a part in that.

The satisfaction you gain however comes with a price and a career in childcare is not for everyone, a lot of patience is needed along with enthusiasm and the job can be demanding. If you can answer yes to most of the questions listed below then maybe childcare is the career for you:

Questions you should ask yourself

• I love being around young children.
• I have excellent communication skills.
• I am sensitive to the needs of parents.
• I am creative.
• I am willing to take training.
• I can be flexible.
• I am able to work with people from any background.
• I am patient.

What qualifications do I need?

Qualifications for working with children in teaching and play are needed at different levels and generally the higher level of qualification you have the higher the pay. As a very rough guide:

• Level 2 – This level allows you to work with children under supervision.
• Level 3 – This level gives you the freedom of working on your own with children and you are able to use your own initiative when planning and organising work or activities, this level also allows you to supervise others.
• Level 4 – This level is for managerial positions.

The qualification or level needed will depend on the position you apply for in childcare, an example would be half the carers who work in a day nursery must have qualifications in early years care level 3.

What choices are there for working in childcare?

There are several opportunities for working with children depending on the age of child you prefer working with, whether you want to work for just a few hours or full time. There are four basic choices which are Nursery and nursery assistants in schools, playgroups and pre schools, child minding and play work.

Nursery work

Nurseries provide full or half day care, play and education for children up to the age of 5 years, they can be run by local authorities, community groups or be privately owned. Some nurseries particularly those run by local authorities are attached to junior and infant schools and work close with them in easing the transition from nursery to infant schools. You would normally be helping in planning and providing activities, taking care of needs such as washing, taking to the toilet, feeding and providing nap time.

Pre-school and playgroups

Children attending pre-school or playgroup are normally between the age of 2 and 5, they provide you with working part time, full time or just in term time and you would usually assist in providing play and educational activities and help in the general care of the children such as washing, changing and nap times.

Child minding

This type of work will involve working with children of all ages and consists of either working in your own home with the children or working in the child’s home. One thing to bear in mind if you want to go into child minding is that you have to be registered.

In the UK as is the case in many other countries your home has to be inspected for suitability for providing childcare by the office for standards in education. Usually you will be able to take care of a maximum of two children per adult.

Play work

Play work usually involves out of school clubs, holiday schemes and breakfast clubs, children can range from the age of 4 to 14 years and this type of work is usually offered by local authorities, voluntary organisations, privately owned or community centers. Your role would be helping to run and organise various activities and the overall welfare and safety of the children attending.