Creating a child care resume comes with some unique challenges that can make creating an attention-getting resume as difficult as trying to calm down a rambunctious child on a sugar high.
Many child care workers need to decide whether to focus more on technical skills and education over demonstrating practical experience through personal child care responsibilities and volunteer work. The trick is to highlight both technical and personal skills in a way that recruiters and families can understand.
In this guide, we will help you create a professional child care resume using real-world examples to show you which skills and experience you need to highlight. We will cover each section and show you how to:
- Demonstrate high-level skills in child care by listing certifications in First Aid/CPR, early childhood education, and child development.
- List volunteer work, internships, and part and full-time jobs that highlight practical experience in caring for children in specific age groups.
- Include professional social media links and websites to show your connection to the child care community and your commitment to providing top-notch care.
- Create a tailored child care resume to help you stand out in a crowded field.
If you need a different type of child care resume, check out these resume examples for similar caregiver roles.
Child Care resume examples
By Experience
Senior Child Care Coordinator
- Strategic organization and streamlined layout – A resume that excels in clear sectioning, logical flow, and concise bullet points instantly catches attention. For a Senior Child Care Coordinator, well-placed subheadings for leadership, program management, and child welfare showcase expertise, while consistent formatting—such as uniform font size and spacing—ensures the information reads easily and looks professional.
- Impactful final summary and proactive engagement – A standout resume concludes with a brief, powerful summary that reiterates the candidate's dedication to fostering supportive environments for children and teams alike. Including an enthusiastic statement expressing eagerness to contribute expertise, coupled with a request for further dialogue, leaves a strong impression and encourages a hiring manager to make contact.
- Immediate alignment with advanced responsibilities – From the first glance, a strong application communicates a perfect fit for the senior role by emphasizing achievements in staff supervision, curriculum design, and regulatory compliance. Demonstrating an understanding of the complex needs in child care management positions the candidate as capable and ready for leadership, assuring the reader of their advanced suitability for the position.
Entry-Level Child Care Worker
- Blending confidence with genuine passion – A compelling resume for an entry-level child care worker strikes a harmonious balance by expressing professionalism through clear communication, organized layouts, and attention to detail, while simultaneously conveying enthusiasm for childhood development and nurturing roles. This dual approach assures employers that the candidate is both reliable and truly invested in fostering positive experiences for young children.
- Demonstrating flexibility through diverse experiences – Showcasing adaptability can set a resume apart; by including a variety of hands-on experiences—such as babysitting, volunteering at youth events, or assisting in classroom settings—the applicant reveals readiness to thrive in changing environments. Highlighting how skills were transferred across different situations reflects a willingness to learn and a capacity to handle the unpredictable nature of child care work.
- Reflecting alignment with the employer’s values – A standout resume subtly weaves in the candidate’s familiarity with the organization’s mission or teaching style, perhaps referencing commitment to inclusive care or a play-based learning philosophy if relevant. This targeted content signals that the applicant did their research and envisions themselves contributing to the company’s unique culture and objectives from day one.
By Role
Child Care Coordinator
- Demonstrates measurable success in child-centered programming – Resumes that shine often feature quantifiable accomplishments, such as increasing family engagement rates, implementing new curriculum models that boost developmental benchmarks, or leading accreditation processes that raise teaching standards. These outcomes directly connect with a Child Care Coordinator’s core mission, signaling a proactive approach to enhancing care quality.
- Highlights specialized expertise and relevant certifications – Exceptional applications indicate mastery in pertinent skills, for instance, proficiency in managing regulatory compliance, fluency in early childhood assessment tools, or advanced scheduling software. Credentials such as CDA (Child Development Associate) or CPR/First Aid certification further authenticate the candidate’s professional preparedness.
- Utilizes sector vocabulary for authenticity and impact – Well-written resumes naturally incorporate language familiar within early education environments, mentioning terms like “licensing inspections,” “developmentally appropriate practice,” “individualized education plans (IEPs),” or “staff-to-child ratios.” The presence of such terminology assures employers of the candidate’s familiarity with industry expectations and best practices.
Child Care Consultant
- Expresses genuine commitment to early childhood development – Articulating a strong personal connection to child welfare, along with a clear rationale for pursuing the Child Care Consultant role, demonstrates purpose-driven motivation and an understanding of industry impact. This sincerity helps hiring managers see the candidate as truly invested in fostering quality early education environments.
- Cultivates a warm yet polished narrative throughout – Striking an effective balance between a welcoming, approachable demeanor and authoritative language instills confidence in the candidate’s professional abilities while highlighting genuine empathy and enthusiasm for working with children, families, and providers.
- Highlights directly applicable results and contributions – Showcasing measurable successes, such as improving compliance rates or spearheading effective training programs, aligns the applicant’s history with the distinct needs of a Child Care Consultant, making those achievements especially resonant for this specific job.
Child Care Advocate
- Unified professional image across platforms – A standout Child Care Advocate resume presents a cohesive personal brand, consistently mirroring the applicant’s values, tone, and achievements on both the resume and their LinkedIn profile. This alignment increases credibility, assures employers of authenticity, and highlights a purposeful professional identity shaped by a genuine commitment to child welfare.
- Memorable wrap-up paired with initiative – Exceptional resumes close with compelling statements that not only express readiness to contribute but also encourage the hiring team to engage further. Concise yet assertive, these conclusions reinforce passion for advocacy and make it clear the candidate is eager for meaningful dialogue about how their skills meet the organization’s mission.
- Immediate relevance to core responsibilities – Right from the start, a strong Child Care Advocate resume captures attention by emphasizing traits and experiences that directly align with the unique demands of child advocacy roles. The opening sections showcase a well-matched blend of empathy, communication skills, and practical experience, leaving no doubt about suitability for driving positive change in children’s lives.
Child Care Administrator
- Clarity through thoughtful design and layout – A standout Child Care Administrator resume incorporates ample white space, concise sections, and easy-to-scan formatting. This careful arrangement ensures that important qualifications and experiences catch the eye immediately, while tidy margins and consistent font usage enhance overall legibility and professionalism.
- Alignment with organizational goals and values – A compelling resume goes beyond listing responsibilities by weaving in specific insights or references to the prospective employer’s mission, philosophy, or child development approach. By tailoring achievements and language to reflect the company’s culture, the candidate demonstrates both genuine interest and a proactive understanding of what will propel the organization’s success.
- Demonstration of flexibility in diverse settings – A resume that details experiences adapting to different age groups, family structures, or regulatory frameworks illustrates a readiness to handle varied challenges. Stories of introducing new curricula in multicultural classrooms or seamlessly stepping into interim roles showcase the administrator’s versatility and quick-thinking, making them invaluable in dynamic child care environments.
Child Care Assistant
- Demonstrated positive impacts through measurable achievements – Outlining specific successes, such as implementing engaging activities that boosted children’s participation or noting reductions in incident reports under their supervision, showcases direct contributions to the well-being and development of children – making these achievements directly relevant to the expectations of a Child Care Assistant role.
- Brings a personalized approach and unique background to child engagement – Highlighting distinct skills like multilingual abilities, experience working with special needs children, or incorporating creative arts into daily routines illustrates what makes the candidate’s style of care unique and valuable compared to others, revealing a candidate who goes beyond standard expectations.
- Displays comprehensive understanding of child care protocols – Citing proficiency in child safety procedures, familiarity with developmental milestones, or knowledge of early childhood education frameworks demonstrates practical expertise and technical depth, reassuring employers of the candidate’s readiness to maintain a safe, nurturing, and effective environment.
Child Care Supervisor
- Demonstrating a seamless background in child-centric environments – A resume stands out when it highlights a consistent trajectory of roles involving youth development, early education, or child care settings, clearly connecting previous responsibilities—such as supervising teams or managing activities—to the core duties expected of a Child Care Supervisor.
- Showcasing a signature approach that elevates child care standards – What distinguishes an applicant is the inclusion of distinct expertise, such as implementing innovative behavioral management strategies or pioneering enrichment programs, demonstrating not just competency but a drive to improve the overall quality and safety of the care environment.
- Underscoring flexibility in various educational and care frameworks – A competitive resume also reflects the applicant’s ease in adapting to differing age groups, working with children from varied cultural backgrounds, and effectively handling both routine operations and unexpected challenges, underscoring resourcefulness and versatility in dynamic settings.
Child Care Case Manager
- Exhibiting mastery of case management techniques – A strong Child Care Case Manager resume distinguishes itself by clearly detailing advanced skills in developing personalized care plans, implementing evidence-based interventions, and navigating complex family dynamics. Highlighting measurable outcomes, such as improved child welfare metrics or streamlined referral processes, demonstrates both expertise and the ability to generate meaningful results.
- Using precise child welfare language and protocols – Integrating field-specific terminology, such as “family reunification facilitation,” “protective factor assessments,” or “trauma-informed care,” illustrates fluency in industry practices. Resumes featuring familiarity with regulations like the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) or procedures such as multidisciplinary team meetings resonate strongly with hiring managers.
- Emphasizing alignment with the organization’s mission and culture – Tailoring experience and soft skills to reflect the priorities and values of the prospective employer signals genuine interest and cultural fit. For instance, referencing familiarity with the agency’s community outreach programs or its holistic approach to family support reinforces the candidate’s commitment to the specific goals and population served by the company.
Child Care Counselor
- Unified professional image across platforms – A stellar Child Care Counselor resume ensures that personal branding remains cohesive, presenting the same values, skills, and aesthetic on paper as it does on LinkedIn. This synchronicity reassures employers of the candidate’s credibility and strengthens their professional identity, making their application memorable and trustworthy.
- Demonstrated responsiveness to various needs – Highlighting adaptability, an outstanding resume uses concrete examples where the candidate skillfully responded to changing group dynamics, diverse age groups, or unexpected challenges. Showcasing these situational successes illustrates the counselor’s ability to confidently navigate the unpredictable nature of child care environments.
- Captivating narrative rooted in empathy – An exceptional resume captures the reviewer’s attention by evoking genuine emotion, sharing moments where the counselor developed meaningful connections with children or made a tangible difference in their well-being. This emotional thread builds rapport and instantly sets the candidate apart from generic submissions.
Child Care Specialist
- Energetic yet composed communication style – The resume strikes a compelling balance by showcasing genuine enthusiasm for working with children, while maintaining a clear sense of professionalism. Details about collaborative teamwork, patient problem-solving, and a warm demeanor reveal a candidate who brings both heart and reliability to the role.
- Previous roles draw a clear thread to child care – Experiences are selected and framed to highlight direct involvement with child development, behavioral guidance, and routine management. This intentional alignment demonstrates that the candidate’s background is not only relevant but deeply rooted in skills essential to nurturing and supporting young learners.
- First impression: trustworthy and mission-driven – Upon initial review, the resume presents an individual whose values and competencies are tightly woven with the core requirements of a Child Care Specialist. The focus on safety, emotional intelligence, and creative engagement quickly indicates a strong fit for the specialized responsibilities demanded by the role.
Child Care Program Manager
- Integration of sector-relevant language – A resume that vividly incorporates terminology such as “curriculum development,” “licensing compliance,” “staff supervision,” and “early childhood education standards” signals to hiring managers that the candidate possesses direct familiarity with industry protocols and best practices, setting them apart from more generic applicants.
- Tailoring achievements to company ethos – When a candidate weaves knowledge of the prospective organization’s mission, values, or community focus into descriptions of their own accomplishments—such as emphasizing experience with inclusive programming or parent engagement when applying to a company known for those priorities—it demonstrates genuine alignment and readiness to contribute meaningfully to the specific employer.
- Closing with a proactive impression – A standout closing section not only summarizes the candidate’s fit for the Child Care Program Manager role but also includes a confident call to action, encouraging the employer to invite further discussion or an interview, thereby reflecting both enthusiasm and initiative.
Child Care Center Director
- Organized structure that guides the reader easily – A standout resume for a Child Care Center Director uses concise section headings, clear bullet points, and a logical flow that moves seamlessly from professional summary through to specific accomplishments. This allows hiring managers to quickly absorb key qualifications and ensures that each section tells a consistent story of leadership, responsibility, and results.
- Skillful integration of child care leadership vocabulary – Incorporating relevant industry language such as curriculum development, licensing compliance, staff supervision, enrollment management, and parent communication showcases depth of expertise. By embedding these terms naturally within achievements and responsibilities, the resume assures employers of the candidate’s familiarity with sector-specific processes and expectations.
- Immediate impression of capability and dedication – The resume makes a strong first impact by emphasizing a track record of creating nurturing environments, driving operational excellence, and complying with regulations. This overall presentation signals a professional well-suited to the complex and multifaceted demands of running a child care center, making the applicant memorable to hiring committees.
Child Care Aide
- Individual flair elevating candidate appeal – Showcasing a passion for nurturing children alongside advanced training in early childhood development helps a resume rise above the rest, demonstrating both dedication and specialized expertise that many applicants may not possess.
- Demonstrated impact through measurable contributions – Including examples such as improving classroom participation rates, streamlining activity schedules, or leading special projects highlights real achievements that directly relate to the day-to-day demands of a Child Care Aide.
- Persuasive finish inviting further conversation – Closing with a confident statement expressing eagerness to contribute to a child-centered environment, paired with an invitation to discuss fit in more detail, leaves a lasting impression on potential employers.
Child Care Services Manager
- Visually clean layout enhances quick understanding – Generous use of white space, clear section headers, and consistent font choices ensure hiring managers can swiftly navigate the document, easily spotting key qualifications and career milestones relevant to child care leadership.
- Emphasizing measurable results demonstrates impact – Showcasing concrete outcomes, such as improved staff retention rates or elevated parent satisfaction scores, proves the candidate’s effectiveness in advancing the center’s goals and directly addresses the requirements of a Child Care Services Manager position.
- Showcasing flexible skill sets highlights readiness – Detailed accounts of adapting to emergent challenges, such as leading distance learning initiatives or restructuring team workflows during regulatory changes, reflect a manager’s ability to adjust and thrive within the evolving landscape of childcare services.
Child Care Development Specialist
- Efficient layout highlights core expertise – Crafting a resume that relies on succinct bullet points and strategic headers allows a Child Care Development Specialist to convey essential qualifications quickly, ensuring vital skills and certifications do not get buried in overly detailed descriptions.
- Demonstrated innovation in child development strategies – Showcasing original approaches, such as implementing creative curriculum enhancements or launching inclusive family engagement programs, signals to employers that the candidate brings distinct value and a commitment to professional growth.
- Evident alignment with the organization’s educational values – Tailoring the resume to reflect familiarity with the company’s philosophy—such as referencing experience with Montessori principles if appropriate—immediately communicates genuine interest and potential for a seamless integration within the team.
The first step in crafting your resume is knowing the proper format. No matter what type of job you are applying for, you need to stick with a standardresume format.
Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.
Fred Rogers
How to format a child care resume
A resume is a collection of skills, experience, and education presented in an easy-to-read format. While you can find resume templates that already have the correct elements and neatly divided resume sections, you should still be familiar with the basics.
The standard resume format includes one-inch margins on all sides, single-line spacing, and a font size between 10-12. These are the standard settings for most documents, so if you are building a resume from scratch, you don’t need to worry about them.
Here are a couple of other things you should know about resume formats before we move on:
- Make sure the resume header has the correct contact information and a link to a professional LinkedIn page.
- List all work and education entries in reverse chronological order.
- The maximum page length is two pages.
- Only use a serif or sans-serif font.
Let’s talk a little about font choices on your resume. When you look at the number of fonts available, it can be a little overwhelming. There are tens of thousands of unique fonts available to choose from. While you may be tempted to use a more creative font, it can be harder to read and may result in your resume being ignored.
Enhancv resume templates come preset with all of the top resume sections and a list of modern fonts, like Exo 2, Lato, Rubik, Montserrat, Volkhov, and others.
One last word about formatting before we continue. Save your resume as a PDF document (.pdf). This will preserve the format of your resume, no matter what operating system or screen size they read it on.
Each market has its own resume standards – a Canadian resume layout may differ, for example.
Is your resume good enough?
Drop your resume here or choose a file. PDF & DOCX only. Max 2MB file size.
If you want to see how your current child care resume compares with other professional resumes, run it through our resume checker for an in-depth analysis.
To get you thinking about what to include on your resume, here are the things that recruiters and families want to see on a resume:
The top sections on a child care resume
- Personal profile: A personal statement about your passion for caring for children and a brief description of your child care accomplishments.
- Child care experience: Families want to know the person they hire has practical, hands-on experience caring for children within a specified age range.
- Certification and advanced child care training:In this industry, specific child care training and health certification are prioritized over post-secondary education.
- A wide range of skills: In addition to personal skills, you want to demonstrate experience in child care software and materials like Montessori materials, ClassDojo, and ABCmouse.
- References: Direct contact with past employers is an excellent way for your new employer to get a sense of your abilities and accomplishments.
Here are the areas you should focus on the most when adding your child care resume experience and skills:
What recruiters want to see on your resume
- Past work experience: Include any relevant part and full-time jobs, volunteer work, internships, and personal child care experience that demonstrates child care abilities.
- Certifications: In addition to first aid and CPR certifications, there are advanced certifications available that showcase your ability to care for special needs children and those with learning disabilities.
- Patience and compassion: These qualities are especially important for child care workers to show how resilient they are and that they can handle children who are being temperamental.
- Reliability: It is equally important that you demonstrate your ability to be on time and have excellent time management skills.
- Communication skills: Showing your ability to communicate with children, parents, and educators on your child care resume is essential as this job requires interaction with children, parents, and professionals.
Before we get into adding your work experience, let’s talk about choosing between a single and two-column layout. Both options are acceptable, and despite any fear-mongering from social influencers, applicant tracking systems (ATS) can easily read single and two-column layouts.
If you search online for other child care resumes, you will see a mix of single and two-column layouts. A two-column layout allows you to add more details to a single-page resume, which cuts down on the amount of scrolling and is best for those with 5-10+ years of experience.
Play around with each layout to see which one works best with the amount of education, work experience, and skill sets that you need to include.
Now, it’s time to work on adding your relevant work experience to your resume. This will include any professional or personal work experience where you helped care for children.
How to write your child care resume experience
The resume experience section will take up the most space on your resume and is where you’ll demonstrate all of your child care history and accomplishments.
In this section, you’ll include any professional and personal child care experience, including raising your own children, babysitting the neighbor's kids, or volunteering at any child care facilities.
Each job entry will need to include the following information:
- Job title
- Name of family or care organization
- Location
- Dates of employment
- A bullet list of job details and accomplishments
Each job entry should include 4-8 bullet points that detail the work you did and how your work benefited the child’s development. When adding your past jobs, be sure to tailor your resume to the specific job post. Focus on the relevant keywords that they list, such as first aid and CPR training, early childhood development, conflict resolution, and nutrition and meal planning.
They should be on your resume if they are in the job post.
Let’s take a look at an example of a real-world child care resume experience listing to give you a visual of how this section should look:
07/2018 - Present 
- •Cared for multiple children ranging in age from toddler to preteen.
- •Performed all care duties as assigned as well as any special requests from the parents.
- •Ensured school-aged children made it to school on time and that they do all of their homework.
- •Talked with parents about any problems behaviors and advised on how to take care of the issues.
- •Worked to foster a warm and caring environment centered around trust and compassion.
With this example, you have to ask yourself: does this person give you a sense of being a well-organized and thorough child care provider?
Not really. The vagueness about their job responsibilities and the duties they performed leaves you with more questions than answers and doesn’t back up their last statement.
As a child care provider, you want your resume to show your effectiveness as a caregiver and how you use your skills to better the children under your care.
Let’s see if we can improve this example with some more specifics:
07/2018 - Present - •Provided optimal care to 4 children ranging in ages from 2, 5, 8, and 11.
- •Changed diapers, managed bath time, cooked meals, and performed light household cleaning.
- •Maintained school and extracurricular schedules and transported children to and from activities in a safe and timely manner.
- •Worked to foster a warm and caring environment centered around trust and compassion.
- •Communicated any significant events or concerns with the parents immediately and discussed options to work on any behavioral issues.
Now we have a better idea of this person’s ability and the type of environment they worked in. Notice how they were able to create a more concise list of job accomplishments that does a great job of:
- Using actionable verbs when describing past work experience.
- Indicating the exact number of children under their care, along with their specific ages.
- Listing specific keywords that detail child care duties.
- Demonstrating time management, organization skills, and lesson planning skills.
- Highlighting communication skills and their ability to communicate with children, parents, and professionals.
When listing your past work experience, only include up to 3 relatable jobs. Any more than that, and you run the risk of your resume becoming redundant because your work history took up too much space.
How to quantify impact on your resume
When detailing your work experience, you may have heard people say you have to quantify your actions with numbers and percentages. For child care jobs, this can be a bit more challenging, but not impossible.
To give you an idea of how this can look on a resume, check out these real-world examples of how you can quantify various child care metrics:
- Number of children under your care: “Utilized meal times as a fun learning opportunity, preparing healthy foods with 3 children and helping each child overcome food aversions.”
- Age range of children cared for: “Managed care for up to 15 children ranging in ages from 2-10 for 8+ hours per shift.”
- Hours of child development training: “Completed 20+ hours of health, safety, and nutrition training to achieve certifications in First Aid, CPR, and childhood nutrition.”
- Years of experience in specified child care field: “8+ years working with children aged 12-17 with behavioral and learning disabilities.”
- Child care settings: “Promoted safe behaviors and creativity while establishing basic peer and adult rules, reducing the instances of bullying by 62%.”
- Educational activities created/developed: “Developed and implemented 3 new learning activities that improved social interaction and behaviors in children living with autism by 23%.”
- Number of short-to-long-term contract conversions: “Developed and implemented new homework and play schedules that led to four short-term contracts becoming long-term contracts.”
- Percentage of childhood development improvements: “Coached children in school subjects and aided in homework, improving learning comprehension and test scores by 32%.”
While you don’t need to quantify every bullet point, you want to focus on quantifying the metrics that are listed in the job duties and responsibilities. For instance, if the job post reads:
The caregiver will be responsible for maintaining a high quality of care for children of all ages from infant to preschool. You will assist in feeding young babies, changing diapers, helping with potty training, and supervising children. The applicant will be required to follow a curriculum given and work with another teacher to create lessons that help children achieve age-appropriate behaviors and become kindergarten-ready.
If you are applying to this job, you want to tailor the details from your past job to quantify what they are looking for, like so:
- “Developed a new fun potty training activity that helped children learn potty skills that decreased daily accidents by 46%”
- “Worked with teachers and child care providers to develop 6 new lessons that focused on learning and early childhood development.”
How do I write a child care resume with no experience
If you are passionate about child care but don’t have any experience, there’s nothing to worry about. You can still create a resume experience section filled with jobs where you performed similar duties as a child care provider.
Recruiters aren’t concerned with job titles. What they want to see is relevant work experience that points to actual child care experience.
Focus on the jobs where you:
- Supervised children at a parent’s home or in a child care facility.
- Developed and implemented activities that promote physical, emotional, socil, and intellecual development.
- Performed basic care needs, such as changing diapers and toilet training.
- Created a daily routine for children to ensure they a healthy mix of play time, education, and rest.
- Participated in training and development of programs for special needs children.
The types of relatable jobs that you can add to your resume include:
- Camp counselors
- Preschool teachers
- Family babysitter
- Special needs assistant
- Daycare assistant
- Nanny
- Youth worker
When detailing relevant work experience, only focus on those duties that are specific to the job you are applying to. Like so:
05/2011 - 05/2013 - •Worked as a camp counselor for two summers, leading groups of 15+ children for a 6-hour camp day.
- •Worked closely with camp administrators and team members to ensure camp schedules ran smoothly.
- •Communicated with parents regarding needs and concerns and reported events to my direct supervisor.
- •Led arts and crafts projects and childhood-appropriate games, while ensuring the safety and well-being of each camper.
- •Followed all camp rules and protocols to maintain a safe and fun environment.
With this example, you can see how effective relatable jobs can be in showcasing your child care skills. From this example, we can see that this person is:
- Able to handle a large group of children throughout an entire 6-hour shift.
- A team player who is comfortable talking and working with parents, other counselors, and children.
- Experienced with leading various games and activities in a safe and fun manner.
- Capable of creating a safe environment based on camp rules and regulations.
Now that we have our resume experience section filled out, let’s talk about adding relevant technical and personal skills that all child care workers should have.
How to list your hard skills and soft skills on your resume
The next few sections of your resume are where you will list vital skills, such as knowledge of child management software, scheduling and planning tools, as well as interpersonal and empathy skills. These are the hard and soft skills that make for a well-rounded child care provider.
Hard skills define technical skills, like experience with Brightwheel, Montessori Crosswords, and development assessment tools. It also includes software like Microsoft Office for emailing and creating lesson plans, spreadsheets, and fun interactive presentations.
Soft skills are those skills that are more personal and aren’t necessarily taught. They include essential child care skills like active listening and communication skills, being able to think outside of the box, and emotional intelligence. We learn these through everyday experiences with our family, peers, and friends.
Listing hard and soft skills on your child care resume is essential as it demonstrates a person’s ability to handle any type of care situation that develops. Enhancv resume templates come with a variety of ways to display your hard and soft skills.
A technical skills section allows you to list relevant experience with educational and management software, development tools, and other necessary equipment and tools:
Our strengths section is where you will list your relevant soft skills:
Here is a list of the most sought-after hard and soft skills that child care facilities and families search for:
Best hard skills for your child care resume
- First Aid and CPR-certified
- Health and safety training
- Child nutrition knowledge
- Infant care expertise
- Early childhood education
- Multilingual
- Special needs care
- Child behavioral management techniques
- Knowledge of child psychology
- Learning strategies
- Developmental assessments
- Proficiency in child care management software
- Familiarity with child-friendly educational software
- Lesson planning
- Arts and crafts skills
- Music therapy
- Knowledge of outdoor games and activities
- Proficiency in educational technologies
- Driver's license
Best soft skills for your child care resume
- Patience
- Compassion
- Adaptability
- Creativity
- Problem-solving
- Communication
- Empathy
- Time management
- Active listening
- Observational skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Emotional intelligence
- Resilience
- High energy levels
- Sense of humor
- Positive attitude
- Stress management
- Dependability
- Leadership
- Decision making
- Creative storytelling
Adding skill keywords and applicant tracking systems
Applicant tracking systems (ATS) are gaining popularity in many recruiting offices and large companies. They help sift through all of the resumes they receive for a single position and identify the skills that the company or family is looking for.
They work by searching for specific keywords that are added to the system as a search parameter. It will search each resume for those keywords and phrases and score it on how many it finds.
You can improve your chances of scoring well with the system if you match the keywords word-for-word. If the post includes the name of specific software, make sure you include that in the work experience or skills section of your resume.
The next sections we will cover relate to your education and advanced training as a child care provider.
How to list your certifications and education on your resume
Unlike other careers, child care facilities and private residences place more emphasis on practical child care experience than any post-secondary education.
To make the most out of this section, you want to focus more on specific training in the area of child care you are specializing in, such as early childhood development or working with special needs children.
Your child care resume education section should include the following:
- High school diploma
- Associates degree
- Child care continuing education certificates
- Advanced child care certifications
For those who wish to pursue a bachelor’s or master’s degree in child care, there are degree programs available for early childhood education, child/human development, and family studies.
When listing your education on a resume, you want to include the degree name, school, and graduation date or dates of attendance, like so:
08/2010 - 04/2014 08/2017 - 04/2022 When listing your certifications on a child care resume, you only need to include the name of the certification and the institution that provided the training:
If you need to boost your training and income level, check out these top child care certifications.
Best certifications for your child care resume
Next, we will work on adding a personal statement to your resume. This is slightly different than the standard resume summary or objective.
How to write your child care resume summary or objective
The resume summary or objective statement is where you get to introduce yourself to a potential employer. It is the handshake before the handshake.
The way you format this section will depend on how much experience you have in child care. Those with 5+ years of experience will want to create a resume summary that includes one or two details of their accomplishments.
This section should have more of a personal feel to it and include the reasons why you are passionate about child care. Let’s take a look at a real-world child care resume summary so you can see what to do and what not to do.
Pretty impressive, wouldn’t you say? It includes specific details of their years of experience, the age of the children under their care, quantifies developmental metrics, and lists several certifications.
If you are applying to a large organization, this type of summary is fine, but it comes off as very cold and clinical. This is one area where child care workers struggle to balance their passion for raising children with their education and technical abilities.
Let’s see if we can give this summary a more personal feel:
Do you see how the use of “I am” gives this section a more personal feel? When applying for a job with a private family, you want to focus more on creating a personal connection than simply summarizing your career milestones.
In this situation, either example is fine to use, depending on the type of work environment. Families and small care facilities may feel a stronger connection with you if you use a more personal statement rather than the typical resume summary.
Optimize your resume summary and objective for ATS
Drop your resume here or choose a file.
PDF & DOCX only. Max 2MB file size.
Additional sections for a child care resume
So far, we’ve discussed the main sections of your resume: work experience, education, advanced training and skills, and the resume summary or personal statement.
There are additional resume sections that you can use to round out your resume, including other relevant skills, like nutrition education and your passion for child care. Have a look at these additional sections to consider adding to your resume:
- Awards: List any awards or recognitions in child care development or education.
- Networking: It is important to show your connection with others in the industry by including any memberships to national or local child care organizations and networking groups.
- Publications: Showcasing any published works, like blogs, articles, or books on child care development or education, is an easy way to impress future employers.
- Language skills: Use this section if the job calls for experience with a second language.
- Interests and hobbies: Including interests in arts & crafts, storytelling, or gardening points to your ability to teach children a wide range of topics.
Another section that you should consider adding to your child care resume is references. This section allows families or recruiters to call your past employers and ask for a personal opinion on your work ethic, reliability, passions, and achievements.
Make sure you ask your past employers if it is ok that you use them as a reference and how they prefer to be contacted.
There is one more section that child care workers can add to their resume that is often overlooked in this field—a portfolio
Including a portfolio on your child care resume
Having a portfolio is not just for artists anymore. A child care portfolio shows future employers that you have a positive web presence and gives them a chance to see all of your child care achievements in one place.
The types of information you can include in a portfolio are:
- Event planning and execution
- Curriculum development
- Community involvement
- Parental engagement
- Photos and videos of positive child interactions
Where can you place a portfolio link? The best place to include this is in the header section:
Notice how this example includes their CDA certification in the title. This is another section that you can tailor to the job post.
The best portfolio websites for child care workers are:
Key takeaways
Congratulations! You now have a professional resume that you can send out to recruiters and families and get the job you’ve always wanted. Throughout this guide, we show you the common mistakes that child care workers make when perfecting their resume and how to avoid them by:
- Combining a mix of professional and personal child care experience that demonstrates practical, hands-on child care experience.
- Listing education and advanced training in health and safety and child care specialties.
- Including professional and personal references.
- Demonstrating their connection to the child care community through professional associations, social media, and a website portfolio.