Free template
Childcare interview question set
Questions that tell you something, with what to listen for beside each one and room to score before you forget which candidate said what.
- Scenario questions about real moments: a biting incident, an angry parent, a nap that will not happen
- A what to listen for note under each question, so two interviewers judge the same way
- A scoring column and space for the exact quote that changed your mind
- A reference-check page with the three questions that actually matter
PDF, two pages, letter size. Print one per candidate and write on it during the interview.
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What to ask, and why
Opening questions
Why this age group, and what a good day looks like to them. Sets the tone and tells you what they value.
Behavior scenarios
A child bites another child in front of you. Listen for immediate care of both children before the explanation.
Parent scenarios
A parent is upset at pickup about something that was not your fault. Listen for calm and for not blaming a colleague.
Safety judgment
You notice a colleague skipping a sleep check. Listen for whether they would say something, and to whom.
Learning and feedback
A time they were corrected at work. Listen for what they changed rather than how they felt about it.
Scoring and notes
A number per question and one quote. Two days later the quote is what you will remember them by.
Interviews that predict how someone will actually be in the room
The best signal in childcare hiring is watching someone with children, and the second best is a consistent set of scenario questions asked the same way every time.
Ask everyone the same questions. Same order, same wording. Consistency is what makes comparing candidates honest and keeps hiring defensible.
Include a paid working interview. An hour in the room tells you more than any answer. Pay for the time.
Check references with real questions. Would you rehire them, and what did they need support with. Vague reference calls are wasted calls.
Childcare interviews, answered
What can we not ask?
Avoid anything about age, family plans, religion, national origin, disability, or health, and stick to whether they can perform the job. Employment law varies, so confirm your state's rules before you build a question list.
Should we do a working interview?
It is the most informative step, and it should be paid and supervised. Never leave a candidate alone with children before clearances are complete.
How many interviews?
A phone screen, an in-person interview, and a paid working hour is enough for most programs and keeps you fast enough to win the candidate.
What if references are hard to reach?
Ask the candidate to help schedule, and weigh a supervisor who will talk far more than three colleagues who will not.
A new hire who is useful on day one
Give a new teacher access to their room, the children's allergy and pickup details, and the logging they need, without shadowing someone for a week.