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For those who love kids, working in child care is a natural career move. Child care workers teach children below kindergarten age, or take care of children outside of school hours. Child care workers are usually grouped into three categories:

• Private household workers like babysitters or nannies, who care for a child at the child's home
• Family child care providers who take care of kids at the provider's home, often in groups
• Child day care workers who work at child care centers, including pre-schools and partial-day schools

What to Know About Child Care Training

The right child care training can help you establish a rewarding career helping kids learn, play, and grow. Formal requirements for child care vary with each state. Some states require less than a high school diploma, and others require certification, some college training, or a college degree in early childhood education or child development. Education and training requirements tend to be higher for child day care centers and pre-schools. Private household workers who care for a small number of kids are not regulated at all. The more child care training you have, the more you can benefit yourself and the kids in your care. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the education level of child care workers plays an important role in determining how much they earn. The average annual salary for child care workers in 2009 was $20,940. The BLS predicts that an increased emphasis on early childhood education will create more job opportunities, and those with the right child care training should have good job prospects.