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 Quality staff is critical to a quality program. Staff costs will be a large part of your operating budget. It is worth your effort to train and retain quality staff rather than deal with costly turnover.
Recruitment Ideas
- Work with colleges
- Have a staff advancement plan
- Use staff and parents as referral sources and give finder’s bonuses
- Offer competitive wages
- Hire part-time college students in appropriate fields
Retention
- Hold a thorough orientation for new staff
- Provide paid professional development opportunities
- Minimize work-related stress
- Involve staff in program decisions when possible
- Show staff appreciation for accomplishments and quality work
- Create open communication channels
- Build in staff planning and professional development time
- Be a good listener
Each program will need to design their staffing patterns and job descriptions to best meet the needs of their program.
Director
A director should be hired to assist with program start up and implementation. Their responsibilities may include
such things as:
- New program start-up
- including regulatory needs, developing program policies, assisting with building design and set-up,
health and safety issues, developing a disaster plan, setting up a food program
- Developing fiscal systems
- Preparing a budget and accounting system, purchasing equipment and supplies, collecting
enrollment fees
- Facility
- Equipping the facility, arranging for custodial care, ordering supplies
- Staff
- Creating job descriptions, recruitment, interviewing, staff meetings, implementing staff professional development, assisting with work plans, preparing a staff handbook, keeping personnel records, scheduling, payroll
- Enrollment
- Interviewing, advertising, child’s records, program evaluation
Additional staff you may need to write job descriptions for could include: assistant director, head teachers, child caregivers, custodian, cooks and volunteers. Job descriptions for additional staff should list the employee qualifications and the responsibilities and duties expected. Keep in mind their personal qualities, how well they relate to children and their families and their professionalism. Good job descriptions can serve as a basis for evaluation. Keep current on labor laws.
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