Preschool and Childcare Center Directors

Preschool and childcare center directors supervise and lead staffs, design program plans, oversee daily activities, and prepare budgets. They are responsible for all aspects of their center’s program, which may include before- and after-school care.

Duties

Preschool and childcare center directors typically do the following:

• Supervise preschool teachers and childcare workers
• Hire and train new staff members
• Provide professional development opportunities for staff
• Establish policies and communicate them to staff and parents
• Develop educational programs and standards
• Maintain instructional excellence
• Assist staff in communicating with parents and children
• Meet with parents and staff to discuss students’ progress
• Prepare budgets and allocate program funds
• Ensure that facilities are maintained and cleaned according to state regulations

Some preschools and childcare centers are independently owned and operated. In these facilities, directors must follow the instructions and guidelines of the owner. Sometimes, the directors are the owners, so they decide how to operate them.

Other preschools and childcare centers are part of a national chain or franchise. The director of a chain or franchise must ensure that the facility meets the parent organization’s standards and regulations.

In addition, some preschools and childcare centers, such as Head Start programs, receive state and federal funding. Directors need to follow the requirements set by Department of Health and Human Services for program, staff, and facilities. 

Preschool and childcare center directors held about 90,200 jobs in 2024. The largest employers of preschool and childcare center directors were as follows:

Although preschool and childcare center directors work in schools and childcare centers, they spend most of their day in an office. They also visit classrooms to check on students, speak to preschool teachers or childcare workers, and meet with parents.

Preschool and childcare center directors may find working in an early childhood educational environment rewarding, but they also have significant responsibilities. Coordinating and interacting with staff, parents, and children may be fast paced and stimulating but also stressful.

Work Schedules

Most preschool and childcare center directors work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. They are on the job while the childcare center is open and may work early in the morning and late in the evening, particularly in centers that provide before- and after-school care. In large facilities, the director and assistant directors may stagger their schedules to ensure that someone is always onsite.

A bachelor’s degree and experience in early childhood education are typically required to become a preschool and childcare center director. However, educational requirements vary. Additionally, some employers require these directors to have a nationally recognized credential.

The median annual wage for preschool and childcare center directors was $56,270 in May 2024.

Employment of preschool and childcare center directors is projected to grow 3 percent from 2024 to 2034, decline.

About 5,500 openings for preschool and childcare center directors are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.