The full time daycare our son attends -- a Tutor Time -- seems to experience what my wife and I consider to be "regular turnover". It seems that every four months or so some key personnel like the director, assistant director, or by chance one of our favorite teachers is leaving for other opportunities.

Is it normal for a preschool/daycare to experience so much turnover? It doesn't seem as if people are coming and going in so short a time, it just seems as if there's a limit--like no more than 2 years--to how long they'll stay.

We've heard rumors about this one or that one parting on less than good terms but from our point of view they are just rumors and we know one person that was fired definitely lacked customer service skills (even though we liked her as an infant teacher); and I don't know of any business anywhere where everybody is happy.

Our son is very happy and we're very happy with the results we're getting from the no-small-amount of money we're spending monthly.

We just would appreciate peoples' thoughts on our perception of the "regular turnover".

Thanks!

-Mitch

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I believe there is a lot of turnover in daycares because the pay is very low, even for those with degrees. My understanding is that most teachers and teacher assistants make between minumum wage and maybe $10-$12 an hour (not sure what directors make). This is not even a living wage so, I think many move on to better paying jobs in education or other things as soon as they get the opportunity. This would be especially true of young adults who are getting thier bachelor and/or masters degrees. Why stay in a job that can actually be very stressful with all the liscensing rules and dealing with all that goes with taking care of children, including dealing with parents who can bring even more stress at times, and pays not much above minimum wage? Parents can/will only pay so much for care so there is really not much to do to keep teachers. This is unfortunate for the children but I don't see any way to keep good employees without the ability to offer more incentive to stay.

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This is so true. I have friends that work in centers and this is what they say. Also they have experience some pretty petty behavior from some coworkers. Sad to say but some environments can be hard to work in. A center needs a strong director to weed out bad behaviors and reward good employees with wages deserving to them. Daycare can be a hard profession.

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Daycare centers work you to the bone for little pay. Add stress from kids and then add the stress from children with behavior issues and colicky infants and high needs children and children who scram daily. In the end, providers are looking for better opportunities. Parents won't pay a wage that equalizes the work load and stress load. I don't blame them, childcare is expensive! I'm being paid less than 2$ an hour for an infant that has screamed 27 hours and 33 minutes this week(I keep a log). I have this infant 12-13 hour dats 5 days a week. Bet your bottom that I'll take another job if it presents it's self.

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I agree with the PPs as far as the reasons for being unable to keep employees. It's not an ideal situation at all.

One thing I would do is stop in at the daycare at different times during the day just to see the environment throughout the day. I'd want to be sure that it wasn't the environment and/or working conditions that are driving good employees away.

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The daycares around here pay minimum wage, even with a degree! High turnover is very common in facilities for a variety of reasons. High stress level, low pay, no benefits usually, mistreatment from children and parents, unreasonable expectations from directors.

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There is a high turnover at that tutor time because that company is the wrost company to work for ever. I did it twice (at 2 different locations) even though I promised myself I wouldn't after the first time. I have a degree and was only making 9/hr but there were peple there for 5 years making less. They pay next to nothing and have absurd policies and stretch the ratios to the max ( I live in florida imagine 22/2 ratio for 2 year olds or 30/2 for 3s) . We were told in a company training that if a parent has a concern about whether is is the right daycare for them we had to say yes and then tell the parent anything they wanted to hear. They take any child and keep that child so we ended up with all the children that got kicked out of the other centers in the area because the director gets in trouble if a child leaves. Not only that if a parents comes in for a tour and then do not sign up the corporate office calls them asks why and then we would get in trouble for not convincing the parent to register. Also the school has no discipline policy aside from saying "be nice to your friends here's a toy go play" they made us sign a paper saying that putting a child in time out was the same as tying them up in the sense that it restricts their movement. Then they fired all the cleaning people so that after a 9:30 to 6:30 shift all the closers had to stay after and scrub the toilets and clean the floors. And that's why they have such a high turn over.

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Oh my! So many things I'm reading are giving me flash back nightmares! I have a bachelors degree in Early childhood ed. I was kindergarten teacher, group supervisor for the 4 oldest classrooms and I made $1 more than everyone else (who only made minimum wage!) for my efforts. I had no sick time, no vacation time, no discount for my own child (yes, I had to get subsidized daycare,) and was elidgible for food stamps. I also did not get medical benefits EVER at any childcare center i worked at. I had to clean my own classroom at night. Vacuum, mop, clean mini kitchen and bathrooms.... That didn't include weekly cleaning of all the toys and the general straightening up that comes along with closing up your room for the night! They want everything from you to make THEMSELVES look awesome, but then they say youre using more than your allotment for snack food for the week, or you are using too much paper or glitter, or whatever.
With all the stress created by a frustrating work environment (having to train a new assistant every 3 months, children AND parents with behavior issues, burned out and frustrated coworkers and overly demanding directors and owners) its no wonder people quit!
I remember a parent asking something of me once that not only was against policy but way above and beyond the call of duty.. When I explained the policy part, she YELLS "well, what am I paying so much money for?"
Oh man how I wanted to yell right back "do you have ANY IDEA how LITTLE I make of THAT money?" but you can't do that... You just apologize, nod, agree and apologize again..
When my youngest was born I opened a legally unlicensed Child care service in my home. I REFUSED to put my baby in a center! I know most teachers (including me) do it bc we love kids, but I know how it can be.... Poorly paid, unappreciated and burned out teachers that are victims of a bad system.. A good teacher will work tirelessly to protect her babies from it all, coming in with a smile everyday and a hug for everyone, but some just can't... That's why they leave

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Wow, so up my alley! I just left TT recently. I worked there for almost five years. I actually left to open a home daycare, because I had a baby and as you know, TT is NOT cheap and that has been my goal. Anyways, at my center there was a few of us who stayed or have worked there for a couple of years or more, but we did have a high turnover. While I do believe in TT and their program, the teachers are not paid enough and benefits are not the best. I have a degree and didn't make much more than those who didn't. Also, a lot of students work there and once they graduate or find something different, they leave. TT does do a good job of weeding out the not so good teachers, and there are valid reasons to do so! I have worked in 2 other centers in the past and there was a lot of turnover there too. I think it comes down to the pay, the hours, stress and benefits. Also at TT they expect the lead teachers to do so much without giving us the time to do it. I have to say that the center I worked at was a good center and I really enjoyed it, just little pay! A lot of us don't just do it for the money, but we need to live too.

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