Anyone who has tried to hire a childcare teacher recently knows the old playbook is not working the way it used to.
You post the job.
You wait.
You get a small handful of applicants.
Some do not have the qualifications. Some do not return the call. Some book the interview and never show up.
It is easy to take that personally, but most of the time, it is not personal. The childcare labor market has been tight for years, and early educators are making real decisions about pay, schedules, respect, burnout, and whether they can afford to stay in the field.
The Center for the Study of Child Care Employment reported that California’s early childhood workforce continues to earn low wages compared with the cost of living, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that childcare workers had a median hourly wage of $15.41 in May 2024.
That matters.
Because the centers that are filling roles right now are not just getting lucky.
They are changing how they hire.
Start With What You Can Pay
Wages are not the only factor, but they are usually the first filter.
If your starting pay is lower than the childcare center down the street, many candidates will never even read the rest of your job post. They will scroll past it before they learn about your classroom, your culture, or your team.
Before writing a fancier job ad, check your pay against three or four comparable centers in your area.
Not across the state.
Not from a national average.
Your actual area.
Your zip code.
Your local market.
If your rate is too far below similar programs, the listing itself probably will not fix the problem.
This does not mean every center can suddenly raise wages overnight. Childcare providers are also dealing with rising rent, insurance, food, supplies, utilities, and payroll costs. But it does mean owners need to be honest about what the market is telling them.
If the pay is not competitive, the hiring strategy has to include a compensation conversation.
Write the Job Post Like a Human Being
Most childcare job posts sound like licensing paperwork.
“Must have 12 ECE units.”
“Must have CPR.”
“Must complete fingerprint clearance.”
“Must be able to supervise children.”
That information matters, but it is not an invitation.
A tired teacher who is half-thinking about leaving her current center does not stop scrolling because she saw a list of requirements. She stops because something in the post sounds like a place she may actually want to work.
Lead with the feeling of the job.
Talk about your team.
Talk about the children.
Talk about your leadership style.
Talk about the kind of classroom you are trying to build.
Then list the qualifications.
A stronger opening might sound like this:
“We are looking for a warm, dependable childcare teacher who loves helping young children feel safe, confident, and excited to learn. Our center values teamwork, calm communication, and teachers who want to grow with us.”
That sounds like a real place.
That matters.
Make the Application Easy
Every extra step costs you applicants.
If a candidate has to create an account, upload a resume, answer 20 questions, download a packet, scan paperwork, and wait for someone to respond, you may lose them before you ever speak to them.
A simple first step works better.
Name.
Phone number.
Email.
ECE units or qualifications.
Availability.
One open-ended question, like:
“What kind of classroom do you enjoy working in?”
That is enough to start.
You can collect the formal paperwork later once you know the person is a real candidate.
The goal of the first application is not to complete the employee file.
The goal is to start the conversation.
Recruit Before You Have a Vacancy
The best hires are not always actively looking.
Sometimes they are already working somewhere else.
Sometimes they are in school.
Sometimes they are a parent volunteer with the right heart.
Sometimes they are an assistant who does not have all their ECE units yet, but you can already see the patience, warmth, and common sense.
Do not wait until someone quits to start looking.
Keep a running list of people you would hire tomorrow.
A former employee who left on good terms.
A substitute you liked.
A parent who mentioned studying child development.
A student from a local ECE program.
A teacher from another center you met at a training.
Check in every few months. Not in a pushy way. Just stay connected.
When a position opens, you do not want to start from zero.
Fix Retention While You Hire
There is no recruiting strategy strong enough to survive a center where teachers do not stay.
Hiring and retention are connected.
If staff are leaving every few months, the first question is not “Where do we find more teachers?”
The first question is “Why are teachers leaving?”
Start with the boring things.
Do breaks actually happen?
Are schedules fair?
Do teachers get support when classrooms are hard?
Does the director answer questions?
Are mistakes corrected with coaching, or with humiliation?
Do staff feel respected?
Do teachers have the supplies they need?
Do they know what is expected of them?
The National Association for the Education of Young Children has reported ongoing exhaustion and staffing pressure in early childhood education, especially after pandemic-era relief funding ended. That pressure shows up inside centers every day.
Teachers talk.
The early education world is small.
If your team feels supported, that travels.
If your team feels burned out and disrespected, that travels faster.
Partner With Local ECE Programs
Community colleges, adult education programs, ROP programs, workforce development programs, and early childhood certificate programs can become hiring pipelines.
Many of these programs are preparing exactly the people childcare centers need.
But the connection does not happen by accident.
Reach out.
Ask to meet the program coordinator.
Offer to speak to a class.
Offer internship opportunities.
Ask how your center can be listed as a local employer.
Let students know what kind of candidates you are looking for.
California has an Early Care and Education Workforce Registry that helps track and support the early childhood workforce, and local training programs are a key part of growing that pipeline.
One coffee meeting with the right program coordinator can turn into a steady flow of applicants over time.
Look for Heart, Then Build Skill
Credentials matter.
Licensing requirements matter.
Training matters.
But in childcare, heart matters too.
You can help someone grow into stronger lesson planning.
You can train someone on classroom routines.
You can teach documentation systems.
But patience, warmth, dependability, emotional maturity, and respect for children are harder to teach.
Some of your strongest future teachers may start as aides, floaters, substitutes, or part-time support.
If someone has the right character and wants to learn, build a path.
Show them which ECE units they need.
Help them understand the next step.
Give them small leadership opportunities.
A center that grows teachers from within is less dependent on the job board.
Treat Every Interview Like Both Sides Are Choosing
The current labor market gives applicants more choices than childcare owners sometimes want to admit.
That means interviews cannot feel like an interrogation.
They should feel like a real conversation.
Tell the candidate what is good about the role.
Also tell them what is hard.
If the classroom is active, say that.
If the schedule requires flexibility, say that.
If the center is rebuilding systems, say that.
Let them meet the team if possible.
Let them see the classroom in action.
Let them understand the culture before they say yes.
Candidates who choose the job with their eyes open are more likely to stay than candidates who said yes because they felt rushed, pressured, or desperate.
Move Quickly When You Find Someone Good
Good candidates do not wait around forever.
If someone seems like a strong fit, follow up quickly.
Send the next steps.
Schedule the working interview.
Explain the paperwork.
Let them know the timeline.
A slow hiring process can make a center look disorganized, even if the program itself is wonderful.
Speed does not mean rushing the decision.
It means respecting the candidate and keeping the process moving.
Why This Matters
Hiring childcare staff in a tight labor market is not just an HR issue.
It affects everything.
Enrollment.
Parent trust.
Classroom quality.
Teacher morale.
Director stress.
Child safety.
Business stability.
When a center is constantly short-staffed, everyone feels it. The director feels it. The teachers feel it. The parents feel it. The children feel it.
That is why hiring cannot be treated like something you only do when there is an emergency.
It has to become part of the way the center operates.
Final Thoughts
Hiring childcare staff right now is not impossible, but it does require a different mindset.
Be clear about pay.
Write like a human.
Make applying easy.
Recruit before you are desperate.
Take care of the staff you already have.
Build relationships with local training programs.
And be honest with candidates about what working in your center is really like.
Early educators want to work in places that feel real.
They want leadership that respects them.
They want classrooms where they can do good work.
They want to feel like they are part of something stable.
If your center can offer that, you can still win in a tight labor market.
