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Working in child care is a great job option for individuals interested in part-time or full-time work who may have more life experience working with children than formal training in the field. Most professionals in this field have years of experience as parents, with younger siblings, or as babysitters. From... playtime to snack time to naptime, child-care workers provide a safe and nurturing environment for children under the age of 5.

Most child-care workers work in private day-care centers, preschools, Head Start or Early Head Start centers, and non-profit or religiously-affiliated day-care organizations. Self-employed workers may run day care out of their homes. There is always a need for dedicated day-care workers as our population continues to grow and fewer families can afford to have a parent stay at home during the day.

Although many jobs in this field do not require a high school diploma, better options are open to individuals with a background in early childhood education. A diploma, associates or bachelors degree in early childhood education will cover material ranging from developmental psychology to elementary teaching methods. Training in special education is especially desirable, since more children have special needs than there are professionals who know how to provide for them.

The benefits of this occupation include the part-time hours, the good job prospects nationwide, and the chance of having free day care provided for your own children. However, although the job has its rewards, it can also be physically and emotionally taxing, depending on the ratio of children to adults in the workplace.

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