The Role and Relationships Of The Day Care Worker

Working in a day care means juggling multiple roles and relationships in conjunction with all the daily duties and responsibilities inherent in childcare - hope you weren’t hoping for an easy life! But what exactly is the role of the day care worker and what are the significant relationships that must be nurtured in order for a harmonious, safe and effective environment to exist?

The worker and child relationship is the generally the most obvious one. A child’s day care experience should be an enriching one involving learning, creativity and play which are facilitated by the caregivers. Needless to say children should be cared for in a warm and understanding manner so the day care worker will need an extremely caring temperament.

Many and varied are the necessary skills of the day care worker. These include an eagle eye on a safe environment, the ability to facilitate the learning of the independent child, giving that child the necessary support to participate in learning activities, encouraging individuality and self confidence, recognizing that each child develops at their own pace, encouraging caring personalities in the classroom and buckets of patience.

It is vital that all workers in a day care environment work well together. The needs of the children are paramount and as such effective teamwork is essential. Communication, cooperation, understanding and respect are key elements of the workers’ relationship. Chaos and confusion can ensue should one person misunderstand or disrespect the objectives and focus of the day care service.

Planning and reviewing sessions will encourage positive interaction and communication between staff which will include positive criticism and ideas for improvement. Daily communication can mean passing information verbally or via a comment book. Of course regular evaluation of staff by management is needed to monitor progress and ensure continuing standards.

Management should encourage, and make accessible, ongoing and relevant childcare training for all staff (who will already be suitably qualified from the outset). This brings us to the incredibly important area of support and supervision of staff. A senior member of staff should be available in a mentor/supervisor role, a healthy working place both physically and emotionally should exist, management should be approachable and pay adequate - all this leads to the environment necessary for workers to perform their duties effectively.

Finally, a very important, yet often overlooked relationship is that of worker and parent. Open communication with the parents is vital for the best interests of the child. Both parties should be on the same page when it comes to the development of the child. Parents should have easy access to all policies and procedures associated with the day care which should be clear and concise. Encourage and welcome all parental involvement and input.

Possessing the above qualities and abilities are essential if you wish to work in the day care setting and if you have any doubts about your suitability then you may need to seriously consider an alternate profession. There is a lot to think about when considering a career in childcare however, for the right personality this can be a very rewarding and satisfying profession.

To discover more about how to start a daycare, visit Child Care Only where you will find this and much more, covering all aspects of how to start a home daycare.

- Fiona Lohrenz