Interview with Daycare/Preschool Director

Director, teacher motivator, cook (when needed), custodian, nurse, psychologist, fiscal appointee, tax preparer, diaper changer, mess cleaner upper, tear wiper, boo-boo fixer, developmental specialist, family counselor, collection agent, nose wiper, potty trainer, office manager, cheer leader.

What is your salary?

What ever is left over after all expenses have been paid. Not too much. Never enough.

Do you have opportunity for promotion, raise, etc.?

Promotion, no and I like it that way. Raise, only if I want to charge what my services are actually worth and let's face it, no one could afford that.

What methods do you use to motivate your staff (raise encouragement, job enrichment, etc.)?

Unfortunately, at the present time I cannot afford raises. I hope I encourage them. I do feel that I am open and caring and my employees seem to enjoy working here. I do believe in having fun and laughing a lot. I also believe that when you work for a good program, that in itself is enriching.

How is the program funded?

Private pay.

What are some of the most important financial matters that you deal with for the center?

Just meeting the budget and making sure the employees get paid. The part I hate the most is collecting from families. It's hard to ask for pay when you truly love the job you are doing.

Do you involve parents in the program?

I do try to involve parents in the program, however, the reality is that most parents must work for a living and they do not have the luxury and/or free time to spend at the center while their child is in our care. Something that we started last year and continued with this year was to have a mother's tea. I invited moms to come for a visit on Friday at any time that was convenient for them. All week long we read the story, "Are You My Mother?" On the day of the tea party we set up a private room where each mom could have tea and cookies with their child(ren). The child "read" the story to them. The moms and children really enjoyed it each time we have done this. This year we are also having a F.U.D.G and donut day. On this day a friend, uncle, dad, or grandpa can come and have donuts with their child(ren) and the kids are going to read "What Are Fathers For?"

What do you do if a child appears to be abused?

Document, document, document. We also must report any incidents of abuse.

What do you do if a child appears to have a disability that parents are not aware of?

Experience has taught me not to simply single out one child who displays a delay. The first thing that we do is send a note to all parents letting them know that we will be conducting developmental check-ups on all the children in the classroom. After all screenings are finished, we meet with the parents very informally to show them what the screening has shown. It is important to emphasize each child's strong areas while discussing the area of needs. I never tell a parent that their child is "delayed". I always explain to them that this is their child's area of need, something we need to start working on and if I believe the child needs additional assistance, I ask if we can make a referral to the appropriate agency to assure their child has the opportunity to further his/her development.

What do you do if a child is seriously injured in your center?

Before a child attends the parent/guardian must give a signed permission for us to give permission to approve care in a medical emergency. We have emergency information on all information cards as well as in each child's file. In my 22 years of providing care I have only had to take children to the hospital twice. The parents are all notified that they are responsible for all costs related to the emergency care.

Do you hire staff? If so, how do you find them?

I have hired staff. All staff that has been hired has come from referrals from other child care professionals. I will be hiring a new lead teacher soon and am considering placing an ad in the paper.

If you hire, what qualities do you look for in a lead or assistant teacher?

Of course I require that any one I hire have or be willing to obtain their CDA. I also want someone who is dependable, loving, nurturing and knowledgeable about early childhood development. I need someone that understands that consistency is important and that children must have boundaries and understand that there are consequences when those boundaries are not followed.

What methods do you use to juggle the many responsibilities of your position?

The most important thing I do is not become too worried about things that don't get done. For instance, my office rarely looks like what I want it to look like. I prioritize what needs to get done. Assuring the children are safe, having fun, and learning are the most important things for me. The paperwork is the next thing that must be done. So to be honest with you, the cleanliness of my office area is that last thing that I work on. I do work long hours and rarely take time off. I take work home when necessary and keep my volunteering down to what I feel is most important.

What is one thing you deal with as a director that someone outside of the field would not expect?

The thing that amazes me most is the fact that people find it odd that you must receive payment on time. The excuses that I have heard about why they cannot pay their childcare bill amaze me. I don't think that most families realize that if they do not pay their bill, my staff and I do not get paid. I am sure if they had worked their 40 hours/week they would expect to get their check and would be upset if they were told I'll have to pay you next week, my dog needed to go to the vet so I don't have any money for you right now. I don't understand how they expect to work if they don't have dependable, quality childcare and in order to have dependable, quality child care they must pay for it. I never thought I would have to ask for payment as much as I have had to.