Child Care Assistant Job Description, Duties, and Responsibilities

This post provides detailed information on the child care assistant job description, including the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities they commonly perform.

It also highlights the major requirements that you may be expected to meet to be hired for the child care assistant role by most recruiters/employers.

What Does a Child Care Assistant Do?

Child care assistants are responsible for providing support to primary care givers or preschool teachers in ensuring that quality care is provided to children at a Center.

Their job description entails helping in developing appropriate educational programs and stimulating learning in children.

The child care assistant works in various settings, including full-service day care centers and private homes, where they provide personal care and attention to children in their care, and ensure a safe, comfortable, and secure environment is created.

Their role may involve cleaning and disinfecting work surfaces, toys and other items children play with; and by carefully monitoring children while they play, child care assistants make sure children don’t get themselves hurt.

They also make sure cribs, car seats, swings and other equipment used in transporting children are working well, and that children safety is ensured at all times.

When working with infants, the child care assistant work description may entail feeding, comforting, changing, and holding them.

With toddlers, it may involve assisting with restroom use, helping with personal hygiene such as washing hands, and changing diapers.

Childcare assistants working in private homes may also be required to bathe and dress up children, as well as help out in preparing healthy meals.

The duties of a child care assistant may also include provision of play activities that stimulate, socialize, and entertain children.

He/she provides various guided play, depending on the age of the children to improve their motor skills. It could be music and other activities that involve movement, drawing and painting, simple puzzles, using manipulative toys, and reading.

The childcare teaching assistant, as they may also be called, is guided by the curriculum of his/her supervisor in performing the right social and educational activities for children of a given age group.

He/she is expected to follow the instructions laid down by the parent or the head care giver at a commercial facility where they work, or may apply own initiative sometimes.

Child Care Assistant Job Description Example/Sample/Template

Child care assistants perform various functions in helping primary care givers or preschool teachers in providing the best care to children.

Here is a job description example highlighting typical responsibilities, duties, and tasks usually assigned to individuals who work as child care assistants by most employers:

• Assist in creating developmental programs and daily routines, and implementing and evaluating them to ensure both children and parents’ needs are satisfied
• Ensure a conducive environment for early childhood development at the center by recognizing the fact that children exhibit different behaviors and developmental levels and warmly respond to them
• Apply positive behavior management tools in improving children self esteem
• Ensure children are kept away from risks by promoting safety and hygiene at the center
• Maintain good relationship with families by promptly informing them of issues relating to them when necessary, and offer understanding, kindness, empathy, and referral to the center Director
• Promote diversity at the center by showing respect to children and parents of different cultural background, recognizing the fact that children are reared differently by different parents. Make parents comfortable to freely discuss issues concerning their children’s care
• Set up and remove requisites and equipment used for children activities, and keep storage areas tidy and organized. Ensure furniture, floor coverings, toys and equipment are kept clean and properly maintained following safe and hygienic standard
• Participate in meetings and give suggestions in reviewing systems, processes, and policies of the center for better performance
• Serve as a valuable member of the team by creating and applying effective communication lines with other team members and providing support to them to ensure consistency in approach and cohesion
• Keep abreast of principles, legal requirements, and policies regarding to health and safety, equal employment opportunity, and report and act on situations that may impact on children and staff well-being.

Requirements – Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities – for Child Care Assistant Role

If you are seeking to work as a child care assistant, you will be expected to meet certain requirements by employers. Here are major ones:

• Good team player: Strong ability to work effectively and support other members of the team
• Strong ability to collaborate with work experience students in providing great care to children
• Strong ability to work effectively with children, parents, teachers, ECE students and instructors, management, administrators, and other relevant stakeholders
• Strong ability to create a stimulating, caring, safe, and enjoyable learning environment for children
• Knowledge of state regulations and national accreditation principles and the ability to adhere to them in carrying out duties
• Good knowledge of methods of instruction, care, supervision, and practices of toddlers, preschool-age children, and/or infants in a learning environment
• Knowledge of various behavior patterns of pre-school-aged children, toddlers, and infants, as well as basic concepts of development in children
• Solid knowledge of practices and procedures for maintaining safety in classrooms and playgrounds
• Competence in the use of English language, including grammar, punctuation, and spelling
• Strong ability to communicate orally and in writing effectively
• Ability to keep student records and files confidential
• Ability to understand given instructions (oral or written) and carry them out correctly
• Ability to apply discretion, tact, patience, and courtesy in handling sensitive and difficult situations and individuals
• Possess high school diploma or its equivalent in addition to experience working with children
• A degree in early Childhood Education, Family and Child Sciences, Child Development, or Early Childhood Special Education is preferred
• Completion of CPR/ First Aid and State Mandated 45 Clock Hour Training.

Conclusion

If you are an employer needing to write a job description to use in hiring for the position, you will find the sample copy and information in this post useful in creating one for the position.

You are sure to be able to create an effective description for the childcare assistant role that enables you to attract the best people to apply for the position.

This post is also useful to individuals interested in the child care career to learn about the duties and responsibilities of the assistant position.