How to hire a Child Caregiver

How to hire a child caregiver, step by step

Here's a step-by-step child caregiver hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a child caregiver job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new child caregiver
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a Child Caregiver do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a child caregiver, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine Employee vs Contractor Status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a child caregiver to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a child caregiver that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of child caregivers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type Of Child Caregiver	Description	Hourly Rate
   Child Caregiver	Childcare workers provide care for children when parents and other family members are unavailable. They attend to children’s basic needs, such as bathing and feeding... Show More	$10-21
   Nanny	Nannies are family employees who are primarily responsible for taking care of children in the family's house. They are usually tapped to take care of the kids while the parents are at work or away on vacation... Show More	$12-29
   Toddler Teacher	A toddler teacher is responsible for teaching young learners by administering physical care and monitoring their social and mental development. Toddler teachers prepare fun and engaging activities for the children and evaluate their behaviors and assess how they interact with the environment... Show More	$11-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common Skills:

   • Child Care
   • Autism
   • Meal Prep
   • Applied Behavior Analysis
   • CPR
   • Homework Assignments
   • Medical Appointments
   • Social Development
   • Child Development
   • Quality Care
   • Healthy Environment
   • Social Interaction
   • Nutritious Meals
   • Developmental Problems

   Check All Skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Teach them their numbers, ABC's, months & days of the year, etc.
   • Appropriate pet clean-up as required.
   • Provide childcare service for children all backgrounds, including those diagnose with autism.
   • Administer minor first aid and perform emergency measures learned through CPR certify training.
   • Provide pet sitting services including feeding, dog walking, and yard care.
   • Introduce children to a wide variety of foods following USDA requirements to support healthy growth.

   More Child Caregiver duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your child caregiver job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A child caregiver can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, child caregivers' average salary in mississippi is 45% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level child caregivers 51% less than senior-level child caregivers.
   • Certifications. A child caregiver with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a child caregiver's salary.

   Average child caregiver salary

   $15.42hourly

   $32,065 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level child caregiver salary

   $22,000 yearly salary

   Updated March 17, 2025

   Average child caregiver salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate
   1	California	$34,679	$17
   2	Connecticut	$34,526	$17
   3	Colorado	$33,319	$16
   4	New York	$32,973	$16
   5	New Jersey	$32,045	$15
   6	Minnesota	$31,855	$15
   7	Arizona	$29,921	$14
   8	Wisconsin	$29,484	$14
   9	North Carolina	$27,829	$13
   10	Utah	$27,727	$13
   11	South Carolina	$25,749	$12
   12	Florida	$24,807	$12

   Average child caregiver salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
   1	CARE	$37,353	$17.96	73
   2	Learning Care Group	$32,345	$15.55	283
   3	Early Learning Indiana	$32,176	$15.47
   4	Greenwich Country Day School	$32,143	$15.45
   5	McLeod Health	$31,703	$15.24
   6	Pediatric Partners, now a member of the Sevita family	$31,007	$14.91	719
   7	Maxim Healthcare Group	$29,446	$14.16	32
   8	LHC Group	$29,050	$13.97	180
   9	North Country School	$28,972	$13.93
   10	College Nannies And Tutors	$28,792	$13.84
   11	Calvary Bellefontaine	$28,604	$13.75	1
   12	BrightStar Care	$28,145	$13.53	121
   13	SYNERGY HomeCare	$27,923	$13.42	55
   14	Tuacahn Center for the Arts	$27,844	$13.39	1
   15	National Mentor Holdings Inc.	$26,970	$12.97
   16	University of Kentucky	$25,748	$12.38	6
   17	ComForCare	$25,120	$12.08	115
   18	Homewatch CareGivers	$24,728	$11.89	283
   19	Synergy Home Care	$24,377	$11.72	2

4. Writing a Child Caregiver Job Description

   A child caregiver job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a child caregiver job description:

   Child Caregiver job description example

   Pay Rate $7.25

   FREE YMCA Membership!

   Shifts available:

   *This shift will be from 8:45am-11:15pm Monday-Friday.

   *This shift will be from 4:45pm-7:45pm Monday-Thursday and 4:45pm-7:15pm on Fridays.

   
   

   QUALIFICATIONS: Staff must be 16 years of age or older and pass criminal background checks.

   BASIC FUNCTION: The Child Watch Staff member will provide safe and loving care for every child that receives our care.

   SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITES:

   Uphold the policies and philosophy of the Beaver County YMCA.

   • Uphold the policies and procedures of the Child Watch Room.
   • Provide a safe, positive, nurturing environment for children.
   • Enforce rules and encourage good behavior.
   • Clean the site daily at the end of each shift (disinfecting toys and getting rid of any dangerous objects).
   • Maintain professional conduct and a neat appearance consistent with the Dress Policy.
   • Report all incidents/accidents to the Group Supervisor and fill out the appropriate forms.
   • Care for all equipment and supplies assigned to the Child Watch area.
   • Maintain an alert and observant behavior at all times.
   • Attend trainings and meetings when scheduled.
   • Check for complete and accurate sign in slip information at time of sign in/out.
   • Perform other duties as assigned relative to the welfare of the association.

   OUR CULTURE:

   At the Y, strengthening community is our cause. Every day, we work side by-side with our neighbors to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. We act with intentionality to connect people to our cause through our service and engagement principles.

   WE ARE:

   WELCOMING We are open to all. We are a place where you can be, belong and become. GENUINE We value who you are and encourage you to be true to yourself and others. HOPEFUL We believe in you and your ability to be a catalyst for good in the world. NURTURING We're with you in your journey to develop your full potential. DETERMINED Above all else, we are on a relentless quest to make our community stronger beginning with you.

   MISSION - OUR REASON FOR BEING

   To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.

   CAUSE - OUR MISSION IN ACTION

   Strengthening the foundations of community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.

   Copy This Example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find child caregivers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your child caregiver job on Zippia to find and recruit child caregiver candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit child caregivers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new child caregiver

   Once you've selected the best child caregiver candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a child caregiver?