Free template
New hire onboarding checklist
Everything a new staff member needs before their first shift, during their first week, and by the end of their first month, with a sign-off beside each item.
- Before first shift: clearances, references, and the paperwork that cannot wait
- Orientation topics listed individually, since your licensor may ask which were covered
- First week and first month split out, so training does not stop after day one
- A sign-off line per item, initialed by both the hire and the director
PDF, two pages, letter size. One per hire, filed in their staff record.
Get the template
Tell us where to send it and the file is yours. We send the template and the occasional new one, nothing else.
Four stages, in order
Before the first shift
Background check and clearances complete, references checked, offer accepted in writing, tax and payroll forms done.
Safety orientation
Emergency procedures, safe sleep, handwashing and diapering, allergy protocol, and mandated reporting, each checked off.
The room and the children
Their group, the allergy list, authorized pickups, the daily schedule, and who covers their break.
Policies and expectations
Staff handbook received, phone policy, dress, attendance, and how to request time off.
First week
Shadowing, first solo period, a mid-week check-in, and confirmation they can log a day on their own.
First month
Required training hours started, a thirty-day conversation, and a note on what they still need support with.
Onboarding that keeps people past month three
Early turnover in childcare is usually not about pay, it is about being thrown into a room without knowing the routine. The checklist exists to prevent that.
Never let clearance items slide. No unsupervised time with children until everything your state requires is complete and in the file.
Check in at day three, not week three. Fifteen minutes. Ask what surprised them. Most fixable problems show up in the first three days.
File the signed checklist. It is the record that orientation happened, which is exactly what a licensor will ask about.
Onboarding staff, answered
What has to be in a staff file?
Commonly clearances, credentials, training records, orientation documentation, and emergency contacts, with the specifics set by your state. Get your licensor's staff file list and check yours against it.
When can a new hire be alone with children?
Only once your state's clearance and training prerequisites are met. This is one of the most cited items, so confirm the rule rather than assuming.
How much orientation is enough?
Enough that they could handle an emergency, a food allergy, and a difficult drop-off on their own. Many states also set a minimum number of orientation hours.
Do we onboard substitutes the same way?
A shorter version, but never skip emergency procedures, allergies, and supervision rules. Keep a one-page sub orientation and have them initial it.
Access on day one, without a stack of printouts
New staff get exactly the information their room needs, and the allergy and pickup details are always the current version.