Free template
Childcare job posting template
A posting written the way applicants read them: pay and schedule first, then the work, then what you need from them.
- Pay range and hours in the first three lines, because that is what decides whether they keep reading
- Duties written as a real day, not a list of responsibilities
- Requirements split into must-have and will-train, so you do not filter out good people
- A closing line about your program that is specific enough to be true
PDF with fill-in prompts, letter size. Copy the wording straight into a job board.
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The sections of a posting that gets replies
Pay and hours
An honest range and the actual schedule. Postings without pay get a fraction of the applications.
What the day looks like
Arrive at 7:30, greet six toddlers, lead a morning activity. Concrete beats a duties list every time.
Must-haves
Age, clearances, credentials, and physical requirements, kept to what is genuinely required.
Will-train
The things you would rather teach than screen for. This is the section that widens your pool.
Why this program
Ratios, tenure, how you handle breaks. One true detail beats three sentences about a family atmosphere.
How to apply
One method, one contact, and how fast you will reply. Then actually reply that fast.
Hiring in a market where everyone is hiring
Small programs win staff on responsiveness and honesty, not on pay alone. Both of those are decided by how you write and handle the posting.
Post the pay. Even a range. A posting without a number reads as either low or evasive, and good applicants skip it.
Reply within a day. The first program to respond usually gets the interview. This matters more than the wording of the posting.
Say something only your program could say. Two teachers with five years each, or we close at 5 sharp. Specific details make an ad credible.
Childcare hiring, answered
Do we have to list pay?
Some states and cities now require a pay range in job postings. Check your local rule, and post it anyway because it improves response rates.
What can we ask in a posting?
Stick to the requirements of the job. Questions about age, family status, or health belong nowhere in a posting, and employment law varies, so check yours.
Where do small programs find staff?
Local job boards, community college early childhood programs, parent networks, and referrals from your own staff, which tends to produce the best hires.
Should the posting mention required clearances?
Yes. Naming background check and clearance requirements up front saves everyone an interview that cannot end in a hire.
Onboarding a new teacher without a paper handover
New staff see schedules, allergy lists, and daily logging on their first shift instead of learning the room from a binder.