The rewards and challenges of a child care career

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

The demand for child care services in Australia has increased dramatically in recent years. Today, more than 1.2 million children attend around 17,000 government-approved child care services nationwide. As such, a child care career is a smart career path to choose!

Like all industries, working in child care comes with a unique set of challenges and rewards – some of which we’ve taken a closer look at:

Reward: Being a part of a child’s development

It’s obvious but so true… Working in child care gives you the rewarding opportunity to see children learn, grow, play and develop.

Child care professionals often develop enjoyable working relationships with the kids in their care with many stories and memories made over the years.

Challenge: No two days are the same

Working in child care is exciting and one which will keep you on your feet. With so many developing personalities under one roof, no two days are the same, and so you’ll need to be prepared to think quickly and to handle changing circumstances.

At Practical Outcomes, we prepare you for this challenge with real life experience while you study.

Reward: Lots of career opportunities

The child care industry is growing and offers many diverse career opportunities. Studying to work in child care at Practical Outcomes opens up your options to pursue many different jobs, depending on the qualification you choose. Full time, part time or casual work are all common in this sector, so there’s great flexibility available too.

Some of the career outcomes our graduates currently enjoy include working as early childhood educators, nannies, kindergarten assistants, family day care educators and more. See more child care career outcomes here.

Challenge: The admin

A common challenge shared by most early childhood educators is paperwork. Sometimes it can be frustrating when you just want to get back to the hands-on aspect of your work, but it is necessary. Dealing with this becomes easier with practice and experience.

Reward: Collaborative partnerships with families

You’ll get to know many children as a child care worker, but you’ll also get to know their parents. Having a grateful family thanking you and acknowledging your contribution to their child’s growth and development is incredibly rewarding. Parents are eternally thankful to know that their children are receiving the very best start in life under the care and guidance of kind, skilled child care workers.

At Practical Outcomes we have a high quality range of short and advanced courses in child care – learn more about them here. A child care career is a career shaping the future, and one you can be proud of.

Source: Colliers International: Child Care White Paper