INTERNATIONAL CHILD AND YOUTH CARE NETWORK

27 APRIL 2000
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Seven Steps for Building a Career in Child Care

Mark Krueger writing some years ago in Child Care Work in Focus*

1. Make a minimum commitment to work two years in direct service. It is not realistic to make a larger commitment until you have experienced the joys and the frustrations of the job. On the other hand, it is not fair to make a shorter commitment. The children deserve to have adults working with them who are responsible enough to size up the situation beforehand and then make a reasonable commitment to stay.
   
2. Begin immediately to get involved in whatever training is available. This includes in-service training and training outside the agency. The more training you have, the better equipped you'll be to get involved in making decisions which influence how you interact with the children.
   
3. Join your regional Child Care Association. Involvement in an association gives you contact with other child care workers. It also provides an additional source of training and it familiarizes you with various career options in the field.
   
4. Try to identify one or two career tracks to pursue by the end of your first year. For example, one can choose from child care training, child care administration, child care supervision or continued direct line service. There are also new tracks developing such as parent training and non-clinical youth service.
   
5. Widen your involvement. Become involved in Association committee work, agency programs and training which gives you experience and knowledge in the desired career track. Also, begin to survey the job market to determine what is or is not available.
   
6. At the end of your second year, you should have a good idea which direction you are headed in. You should also have laid the preliminary ground work as outlined in numbers one through five. If you have chosen administration or training, you'll need at least one more year of direct service. Two years just barely gives you a feel for the work. Those who choose supervision and/or continued direct service will, of course, make another two-year commitment.
   
7. Maintain a high level of individual performance throughout your career. This will help you advance within the agency's existing structure (If your agency doesn't have a step plan or career ladder, consult with your fellow child care workers and child care association to see what might be done.)
   
   

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