ChildCareCareers

ChildCareCareers Review:

ChildCareCareers is a staffing agency for teachers and teacher’s aides. They site hires teachers, aides and others, who are able to care for infants and children up to the age of 5 on a flexible, part-time or full-time basis. The site sends these teachers out to a plethora of daycare centers, private schools, and after-school programs as fill-in help for school staff who have called out sick or who are on leave or vacation.

Spontaneous fill-in work

Working with CCC is a lot like substitute teaching, but with very young kids. You determine your availability and how far you’re willing to travel to jobs. (The minimum travel radius is 10 miles from your home. But you’ll get more work, if you’re willing to travel a bit farther.) However, because CCC’s mission is to provide fill-in help when someone’s called in sick, you might not know whether you’ll be working until a few hours before the assignment.

To work here, you have to be willing to accept jobs an hour or two before they start.

Set-rates and benefits

While the hours are not set, the site hires you as an employee and will pay you a set hourly rate, based on your experience and credentials. You will earn that rate every hour that you work, no matter where you’re sent to work.

Additionally, if you work more than 30 hours a week, over a 12-month period, you’re entitled to health and dental insurance.

CCC staff is paid weekly for hours completed the previous week by direct deposit.

Tuition reimbursement

Better yet, if you’re serious about early childhood education, but haven’t completed ECE coursework to get appropriate certifications, this site can help. CCC provides tuition reimbursement for relevant classes.

You have to pay for the courses up-front and get at least a C average or better to qualify. There’s no limit on the amount of reimbursement you can receive, according to a CCC representative. However, the classes must meet set criteria. The site will help you identify which courses qualify for reimbursement, if you’re interested.

Point system

The site works via a “point system” for teachers and aides, which is aimed at rewarding those who accept available jobs during their stated times of availability. Each worker starts with 50 points. Points are gained with the completion of each job.

But points are taken away, if you reject a job that’s within your travel range and stated availability. (No points are deducted if you’re sick — only if you’re well, but not willing to work.)

Those who build up 100 points get a gift. Those who fall to zero points are subject to termination.

The key here is to update your availability regularly. After the first month, you can re-set your availability whenever you’d like. So, if you’re planning to take a day or week off, note it on your calendar so you won’t be penalized for rejecting jobs during that period.

Recommendations

If you’re looking for regular work in child care, this is a great option. Other sites worth checking out Care and Urban Sitter.

What their users say (from Indeed):

It was a really cool job for a young adult with extra time on their hands. You definitely need a lot of energy and patience for this job. They do have a point system they follow so keep that in mind when you make your availability at the interview. That’s where I made my mistake . I opened up my availability too much and was working over 40 hours a week and when I got sick with Covid I have to decline a bunch of offers which led to my points decreasing . Very awesome opportunity though and was a lot of fun

Pros: make your own schedule. The pay is good but could be better. Cons: you’re on call. you go to different daycares almost every week. It worked well for me; planning on going back.

Flexible

Very versatile and flexible. You chose your own hours and do not work weekends. The only negative is that you have to respond to their assignments within 3 hours of them sending it to you. If you don’t respond within that time they will take points away. Overall it was a good company to work for. Love that you would go to different schools and meet new teachers/kids. Pay is pretty good.

I just started and I like it, just getting a school close enough to me is difficult. I have liked the school I have been sent to so far. The point system is also a bit intimidating, but I do like the flexibility and the pay is decent.

At Childcare Careers, I have enjoyed the opportunity to work with children ranging from infants to school-aged children. I have learned a lot and found it to be great experience for someone new to the field like myself. I especially appreciated the flexibility of the job as a college student, where I can change my schedule of availability at any time. The pay is good, however usually I don’t get many hours. There is also flexibility in adjusting your travel radius, and that affects how many hours you get. Additionally, there is the ability to get hired by one of the schools you get assigned to, which would result in more regular hours.

A lot of travel

There is a lot of travel involved in working with CCC. You could be going from one daycare or school to the next. Not all school or daycare are created equal. Some are amazing others shouldn’t be operating. Also they can give you assignments the day of — even some an hour before they start. If you don’t except the assignment you will be penalized. Also even though they operate on a point system and you’re allowed to reject any assignments as long as you have points, they still may give you an attitude or try to make you feel bad about rejecting an assignment.

Really sucked at first. Hard to get 8 hour shifts. But then a few schools got to know me and began to request me. Been with the company 6 months so far. To be honest, I’m just staying with then because of the tuition reimbursement. Flexible schedule is nice and all but like I said, no guaranteed hours unless a school requests you. Also, there is practically no communication between you and CCC.

The hiring manager said they offer excellent competitive wages, but during the interview they offered me $19 an hour. I started working for them, they started off with demanding we come in 15 minutes early to work unpaid, and we were told to clock in 15 minutes later.

Updated 1/10/2023