Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/giving-your-staff-the-care-they-deserve/5008153/
Much research has been done and many papers have been written about how to retain child care workers in an industry that historically has consistently high staff turnover. Specific qualities of a working environment can cultivate and maintain long term relationships between management and staff. Recommendations discussed in this article are based on conversations with and surveys of center directors and their staff where turnover is either extremely low or very high.Of course, the first area of concern to all professionals taking care of and educating young children is pay. Whatever the reasons for low pay to these workers, it is unanimous among all advocates for the child care industry that higher pay would certainly help attract and retain long term employees. Admittedly this is true, but it will take many years to correct the low pay issue, so we must look for ways to keep staff with the salaries we can offer at this time.
The characteristics of a child care center where most, if not all, of the employees choose to stay and provide a high quality learning environment for young children are ones where:
1. Care for employees as people, not just employees, exists.
Each time ...