At Tandem, we work closely with thousands of child care workers across multiple states. We hear their stories, their hopes, and their challenges firsthand.
And if there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s this:
Child care workers love what they do — but they need to feel seen, respected, and supported to stay.
In an industry where workers have many job options at similar pay rates, centers that understand and act on what motivates today’s workforce have a major advantage when it comes to retention.
Here’s what child care workers wish their center directors knew — and how small changes can make a big difference.
Most child care workers balance a lot behind the scenes:
Their own children’s school schedules
Public transportation challenges
Changing family needs
Flexibility isn’t just a nice perk — it’s often the only way they can stay in the workforce.
At Tandem, we see that workers who can choose when and where they work are happier, more reliable, and more committed.
Even small flexibilities, like allowing a worker to adjust start times slightly or to pick up extra shifts during busy weeks, can make a world of difference.
(We explore this more in What Motivates Today’s Child Care Workforce.)
At the pay rates common in child care, even short payment delays can cause real hardship.
Workers often live paycheck to paycheck, and knowing exactly when they’ll be paid — and having access to their earnings quickly — relieves a huge amount of stress.
At Tandem, offering fast, flexible payment options has been one of the top drivers of worker satisfaction and loyalty. When workers trust that their effort translates quickly into earned income, they’re more motivated to show up, rebook, and stay engaged.
If your payroll system allows for flexible pay advances or faster direct deposits, consider offering it — even if only after probation periods. Small investments in financial reliability build long-term loyalty.
In our Stories from the Field: Tandem Workers Share Their Why, one theme shines through:
Child care workers aren’t just looking for any job — they want to nurture, teach, and support young children.
When workers are treated like interchangeable labor, it burns them out quickly.
When they’re recognized as educators, caregivers, and mentors, their pride in their work deepens — and their commitment to your center does too.
Caregivers don’t just want to be part of your staffing solution — they want to be part of your mission.
Celebrating workers publicly, sharing their stories with parents, and positioning them as the faces of your center (not just the labor behind it) is powerful.
(We dive deeper into this in Celebrating Your Staff Publicly: Why Parents Should See It Too.)
Life happens — missed buses, sick kids, unexpected emergencies.
Workers know that reliability matters, and most genuinely strive to show up and do their best every day.
When leadership leads with empathy and trust, workers are far more likely to:
Communicate early about challenges
Take accountability seriously
Stay with your center even through tough seasons
Workers appreciate leaders who say: "I understand life happens — and I'm here to work through it with you."
Setting clear expectations is important. But balancing accountability with empathy is what keeps good workers from walking out the door after their first misstep.
Like Cliff Notes, but for child care: