The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) notes on its website that requirements for child care workers vary by state with respect to education and experience. Prospective daycare employees can take advantage of websites such Daycare.com, which provides a comprehensive, state-by-state listing of Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) licensing requirements for daycare centers, which includes detailed information regarding worker qualifications in each state.
Education
The education requirement for daycare workers ranges from a high school diploma for a caregiver to an associate's or bachelor's degree in a field such as early childhood education or child development for a teacher. Certification as a child development associate (CDA) can satisfy the education requirement in states such as Arizona. Some states, such as Idaho and Iowa, do not have a specific educational requirement for prospective daycare workers. A general equivalency diploma (GED) meets the educational requirement in many states.
Experience
States including California, Kansas, Maine and North Dakota, have experience requirements of six months to one year for daycare workers. However, other states, such as Kentucky, North Carolina and Utah have no DCFS-mandated prior experience requirement for individuals who wish to work in a daycare.
Age Requirement
As is true with education and experience, the DCFS age requirements for daycare workers vary greatly by state. In Alaska, children as young as 14 years old may work as caregivers, so long as they complete a child care training course or prove that they can care for a younger child. Iowa requires daycare workers to be at least 16 years old. However, most states set the minimum age requirement for daycare workers at 18 years old. Individuals seeking employment as daycare teachers need to meet an age requirement of 21 years in several states, including Indiana, Maine and Massachusetts.
