Childcare Workers

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 the handicapped.

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.

Sterilize bottles and prepare formulas.

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.

Help children with homework and school work.

Provide care for mentally disturbed, delinquent, or handicapped children.

Operate in-house day-care centers within businesses.

Create developmentally appropriate lesson plans.

Perform housekeeping duties, such as laundry, cleaning, dish washing, and changing of linens.

Read to children and teach them simple painting, drawing, handicrafts, and songs.

Assist in preparing food and serving meals and refreshments to children.

Discipline children and recommend or initiate other measures to control behavior, such as caring for own clothing and picking up toys and books.

Perform general personnel functions, such as supervision, training, and scheduling.

Regulate children's rest periods.

Organize and participate in recreational activities and outings, such as games and field trips.

Accompany children to and from school, on outings, and to medical appointments.