Child Care Skills for Your Resume 

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Childcare skills go beyond watching children. It provides developmental support, healthy nutritional services as well as a safe, hygienic environment to thrive. The skills needed for childcare can make a difference in the children’s lives and in your career.  

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 153,100 yearly openings for child care workers over this decade. In a competitive market, writing a resume with the right childcare skills can help you land the right job. 

What are childcare skills?

Child care skills are the abilities workers use to provide quality care, promote growth and assist children's development. It includes hard and soft skills. 

The skills you need to work in childcare must be balanced between providing the best quality childcare, collaborating with coworkers and communicating effectively with the families and community. 

Examples of child care skills

These childcare resume skills are essential for your resume. Providing the best possible care uses a combination of skills that cater to child development, family communication, collaborating with colleagues and knowing how to use childcare tools. 

Hard skills 

Hard skills are acquired through education and experience.  These skills in childcare support children's development, their health and family engagement.

• Child safety
• Hygiene care
• Medication administration
• Parent engagement strategies
• Play-based learning
• Feeding assistance

Soft skills 

Soft skills for childcare support how you perform your job. These skills are all about your habits and performance. 

• Time management
• Creativity
• Cultural sensitivity
• Flexibility
• Adaptability
• Work ethic
• Punctuality

Interpersonal skills 

Caring for children means connecting with their parents or caretakers and your colleagues to ensure reliable care. Interpersonal skills help you connect with others and the children. 

• Collaboration
• Leadership
• Communication
• Empathy
• Active listening
• Teamwork
• Trustworthiness

Transferable skills

If you have experience in a different industry or are seeking to move on from child care, these transferable skills can be included in your resume. 

• Attention to detail
• Conflict management
• Multitasking
• Resourcefulness
• Emotional intelligence
• Record-keeping
• Documentation
• Critical thinking

Emerging child care skills

Providing the highest-quality care requires keeping up with an evolving landscape. These child care emerging skills are the key for those seeking to care for and develop young children. 

• Trauma-informed care
• Mindfulness
• Multilingualism
• Inclusivity education
• Digital literacy 
• Cross-cultural skills
• Remote learning support

How to improve childcare skills

Improving your childcare skills prepares you for the next level of your career. There are different ways that’ll help you become a desirable candidate.

• Through continued learning: Develop your skills through training, workshops and seminars. This will help you 
• Seek guidance and mentorship: Every child has their own needs. Ask their families for feedback and guidance on how to best serve them. Also, seek out your experienced mentors to learn more by simply observing their work and receiving feedback. 
• Keep up with the latest research and practices: Whether through your employer or on your own, find reliable resources with the most recent information and child care training. 
• Self-evaluate: Completing a self-evaluation daily or weekly will help you formulate better questions, seek specific feedback from colleagues, and identify areas for improvement.  

How to include childcare skills in a resume

Your child care skills will be throughout your document. Each section is designed to highlight a different skill, and, as a whole, the resume presents you as a desirable candidate. 

• In your career statement — This is your introduction and should be approached as if the recruiter would only read this section. Use your strongest child care skill, years of experience and include an achievement. 

 For example:

Dedicated child care worker with five years of experience providing high-quality trauma-informed care. Skilled in developing cognitive, physical, emotional and social activities. Nature-based learning and mindfulness proponent. 

• In your skills section — This is the specialized skills section. Match as many childcare skills from the job description as possible and list them using bullet points. Include 6 to 12 skills. Focus on hard skills but include two to three soft skills. 

For example:

• In your work experience —  Your childcare worker skills shine in your professional history. In this section, you show exactly how you’ve successfully used your skills by including three bullet points with quantifiable resume accomplishments per role. 

For example:

• Developed and implemented a daily curriculum for a 12-children classroom, increasing positive behavior and engagement.

If you have no experience in child care, you can tailor your resume work history to include relevant achievements from other experiences, like volunteer work, internships or apprenticeships. 

Common tools for child care providers

To provide quality childcare, you must familiarize yourself with common tools used in child care. These tools will expand your skill set and help you stand out from other candidates. 

• First aid equipment — Accidents happen. Quick and reliable first aid for children is essential. A well-trained childcare worker must know how to treat scrapes and cuts with bandages, gauze and antiseptics. 
• Cleaning supplies — Properly disinfecting play areas and work surfaces is a critical skill in child care. Professionals must know how to use nontoxic, child-safe cleaners and when to use a different cleaning product without harming children. 
• Infant hygiene supplies — Infant hygiene is a cornerstone of their health. Knowing how to tend and handle infant wipes, rash creams and diapers is a must-have childcare skill.
• Sensory materials — Play-Doh, sand, water, wood and slime provide a learning experience in a fun environment. Knowing how to safely use these materials can help you and your children excel. 

Certifications

Child care certifications empower your resume. They show your commitment and expertise to providing the best care possible, and they can also be a requirement for working in the profession. 

Child care certification requirements vary by state. Confirm with your state regulatory agency and the National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance (NCECQA). 

These are certifications that prepare you for childcare and specialized care:

• Child Care Professional (CCP)
• Child Development Specialist Certification
• Infant and Toddler Care Certification
• Special Needs Certification
• Child Development Associate (CDA) 
• Early Childhood Education (ECE) Certification

In addition, these certifications can be required by state and employer: 

• Pediatric First Aid 
• CPR Certification
• Food Safety Certification
• Medication Administration in the Child Care Environment Certification

When in doubt, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education (NRC) are great resources for learning more about childcare providers. 

Key takeaways

• Childcare skills are the ability to provide care for children
• Childcare workers must comply with legal requirements, like licenses and certifications, to prove their abilities and provide care. 
• In an ever-evolving society, emerging childcare skills are an integral part of workers' skill sets.
• Tools are a necessity to perform child care duties. An important part of childcare skills is the knowledge and experience in using these tools.