1. Child care careers, an introduction
So many choices exist today for careers associated with children
Finding the right child care career
The current and future outlook for jobs
Learning more about child care careers
2. Learning all about children
Checklist of expected listening skills
Checklist of expected thinking skills
Checklist of expected fine motor skills
Checklist of expected social skills
Checklist of expected self-help skills
Checklist of expected self-esteem skills
Checklist of expected speaking skills
Checklist of expected prereading skills
Checklist of expected math skills
Checklist of expected gross motor skills
How caregivers learn about children and their development
3. Working in child care centers
Child care workers are needed
Many choices for working with children
History of child care centers
Ownership of child care centers
Required skills for child care center workers
Training in the United States
Training in Canada
Positions for child care workers
Looking at child care center workers in the United States and Canada
Salary and fringe benefits
Employment outlook


4. Caring for children in your home
Required skills for at-home child caregivers
Where to find help in setting up a family child care home
Basic steps involved in starting a family child care home
Sound business practices need to be followed
Turning a home into a family child care home
Family child care programs need to be educationally sound
Marketing the family child care business
Foster care home programs
Another career possibility : group home care
The rewards of caring for children in a home setting
5. Working as a nanny
Need for nannies skyrockets
Nannies are not babysitters
Prerequisites for being a nanny
A nanny's duties
On the job with a nanny
Profile of a nanny
Nanny code of conduct
Nanny support groups
Salary and fringe benefits
What it takes to become a nanny
Applying to a nanny school
Finding employment as a nanny
Three nannies tell about their backgrounds and first jobs
The au pair experience
The rewards of being a nanny
6. Working as a babysitter
Learning babysitting skills
Babysitters need to be aware of how children develop
The babysitter's responsibilities
The business side of babysitting
Helpful hints from a young babysitter
Babysitters are important caregivers


7. Educating children
What it takes to be a teacher
Children's first teachers
Kindergarten teachers
Elementary school teachers
Middle school teachers
Subject teachers in elementary school
Salary and fringe benefits
Unique benefits of being a teacher
Employment outlook
Getting a head start on becoming a teacher
More jobs in education
Applying for a job as a teacher
The challenge of teaching
8. Working with children in sports and recreation careers
Helping children gain sports skills
Where sports jobs are found
How to become a sports instructor or coach
What it takes to be a sports instructor or coach
The life of a sports instructor
More jobs for sports instructors
Employment outlook and earnings
Helping children gain recreation skills
What it takes to be a recreation worker
How to become a recreation worker
Where the jobs in recreation are
Employment outlook
The benefits of a career in sports and recreation
9. Keeping children healthy
The story of pediatric medicine
Education is a prerequisite for health care careers
Employment outlook
Pediatricians and pediatric nurses
Children's dentistry
Professionals who counsel children
Speech-language pathologists
The children's hospital as a workplace
Child life specialists
Health care professionals are held in high esteem


10. Ensuring the welfare of children
Social worker as a career
Police officers in youth services
Careers within the juvenile justice system
the satisfaction of safeguarding children's welfare
11. Introducing children to the world of arts and entertainment
Careers with children and the arts
Careers entertaining children
Arts and entertainment careers are rewarding
12. Additional careers working with children
A new career area
What being a children's librarian is like
What being a children's photographer is like
What being an employee in a children's museum is like
What being a youth minister is like
What being a salesperson in a children's retail store is like
What being a creator of children's products is like
What working with children and computers is like
Still more jobs exist
13. Searching for a job working with children
The best areas to find jobs
The best way to search for a job
Creating the résumé that will attract attention
Creating outstanding cover letters
Doing one's best at an interview
The actual interview
Focusing on the future
Appendix. Sources of additional information.