Child care services management degrees, or child care management degrees as they are typically called, are programs that prepare students to work in administrative positions within a child care facility. Courses and topics range for individual programs, but typically consist of courses in psychology, child growth and management, business management, art education and more. Often, you only need an associate degree in child care management in order to pursue a career in the field.
The child care management degree program provides students with a variety of useful skills in the workplace. Students will learn the best discipline methods for children, as well as laws governing children and become CPR and first-aid certified for infants and toddlers. Students can also expect to gain hands-on experience in the field through cooperative learning courses and internships. More over, administrative skills such as bookkeeping, business management skills and accounting, as they relate to managing a child care facility, will also be learned.
Graduates of a child care management degree program can look forward to promising careers as a preschool teacher, child care worker or in child area management (the three most prevalent in the field). According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the demand for these positions are expected to rise in the next few years because of the influx of more children into the system due to family's dealing with other responsibilities. This means that the job market looks promising for graduates.
The salary for graduates of child care management degree programs is rather low when compared to other careers. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the average earnings for a child care worker at around $12/hour. However, salary can vary widely between states and even within cities. Since there is high turnover within this field, as well as the fact that the field is set to grow in coming years, there is more or less job security and stability for graduates.