Child Care Service Owners

Center owners spend a lot of time on their feet, helping staff, directing children, and checking on classrooms. Most child care centers have play areas both inside and outside. In the spring and summer months, owners—especially those with a small staff or none at all—may spend some time outside with the kids, leading them in playground exercises and games. The colder winter months will keep the kids confined mostly indoors. Though child care workers can control the noise somewhat, the work conditions are rarely quiet. An owner's work is divided between child care and administrative responsibilities, but the size of the center often determines how much time is spent on each. For example, the owner of a small service with one part-time employee will spend most of the day with the children, directing activities, serving snacks, settling arguments over toys, and talking with parents as they drop off or pick up their children. For the most part, this owner will do administrative work—record keeping of attendance, billing for services, paying the center's bills, filing tax forms—during short periods of free time in the day and during the evenings and on weekends when the center is closed. Owners of large centers with several staff members often have more time during the day to attend to administrative duties. Even these owners, however, often work on business matters after hours.