Keynotes & training on childcare workforce stability.
Book KateThought Leadership · Recruiting
Recruiting Childcare Staff Beyond Job Boards
Build a stronger candidate pipeline without lowering standards or waiting until your program is desperate.
Job boards can be part of a recruiting strategy, but they cannot be the entire strategy.
The best future employees may not be actively searching for a childcare job when you need them. They may be assistants, substitutes, parents, college students, former staff, camp counselors, youth workers, retired educators, career changers, or adults with transferable skills who need a clearer path into the profession.
Section 1
Why job boards are not enough.
- Everyone is competing for the same active applicants
- The strongest potential candidates may not be searching
- A job post cannot fix a weak workplace reputation
- Hiring only when desperate narrows judgment
Widening the doorway does not mean lowering the standard. It means building a better path into the work.
— Kate Woodward Young
Section 2
Build a year-round candidate pipeline.
Former staff
Parent referrals
College & high school programs
Substitute pools
Community organizations
Youth-development programs
Faith & neighborhood networks
Camp & afterschool staff
Career changers
Employee referrals
Section 3
Hire for potential — without pretending skills do not matter.
Can be trained
- Classroom routines
- Curriculum systems
- Documentation
- Parent communication protocols
- Program-specific practices
Non-negotiable on day one
- Reliability
- Safety judgment
- Respect for children
- Willingness to learn
- Professional communication
- Ability to receive feedback
Section 4
Write a want ad people can actually understand.
Weak language
"Seeking energetic team player. Must love children."
Says nothing about the actual role, schedule, or support.
Better language
Describe the actual role, the age group, the schedule, the classroom, the expectations, the support and training, the benefits, and what a successful first 90 days looks like.
Section 5
Protect standards while building pathways.
Directors should not have to choose between "hire anyone" and "wait for the perfect person." Both extremes are expensive.
The right question is not, "Can this person do every part of the job today?" It is, "Do they have the foundation, judgment, and willingness to become successful here?"
Bring this work to your organization.
Kate Woodward Young helps childcare leaders move from staffing chaos to clearer systems, stronger teams, and more stable programs through keynotes, workshops, leadership retreats, and workforce-development training.
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ReadFAQ
Questions leaders ask
Former staff, parent referrals, colleges and high schools, substitute pools, community organizations, youth-development programs, faith and neighborhood networks, camp and afterschool staff, career changers, and employee referrals.