https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 28 Apr 2026 19:06:40 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/staff-turnover-at-daycare#post-2236735 Tue, 14 Jul 2015 20:57:20 +0000 2littlepumpkins 2236735@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>From experience on the staff/knowing a lot of early childhood educators, if this is happening twice in a year that might be a red flag. High turnover is normal but the director and teacher on the same day would leave me wanting more info. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/staff-turnover-at-daycare#post-2236696 Tue, 14 Jul 2015 20:17:29 +0000 catomd00 2236696@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our old daycare had very low turnover. Staff had been there for 10+ years but that is very unusual as I understand it. It's got to be so hard on your LOs when this happens repeatedly. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/staff-turnover-at-daycare#post-2236644 Tue, 14 Jul 2015 19:27:14 +0000 catlady 2236644@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hotchildinthecity: @autumnlove: @lilteacherbee: @ILoveLettie: @KayKay: Thanks all, glad to hear this sounds at least relatively normal.</p> <p>@Mrs. Peanut: @mauxie: @Truth Bombs: I should probably have elaborated more. After the first set of teachers left, the owner had a meeting with all the affected parents and explained their reasons (had to do with curriculum and some policy changes). So they have been transparent in the past. This time it seems that a new staff member was hired and I think some positions were getting shifted (the teacher who left this time also did admin). I get the sense there was friction between the owner and the ones who left due to the position shifts. So I guess both times had explanations, but it was just weird that in both cases, we weren't given any notice that they were leaving. Maybe I will bring that up at the next parent meeting. Thanks for your thoughts! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/staff-turnover-at-daycare#post-2236566 Tue, 14 Jul 2015 18:31:41 +0000 KayKay 2236566@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I SAH now, but LO1 went to a daycare FT for 2 years. I agree with most of what has been said above! At our center, there were basically two groups: the teachers who had been there for 10-15+ years, and the turnover-prone spots. It seems like if you hit the jackpot with someone, it was great...but that finding that right person took awhile (and a bunch of false starts). The good news was that they tried to keep each of the experienced teachers in separate classes so that there was some stability in each class, even if there was also turnover (if that makes sense!).</p> <p>As for your particular case, if leaving with short/no notice became the norm, I'd be bothered. But that's not always something that the administration can control either! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/staff-turnover-at-daycare#post-2236553 Tue, 14 Jul 2015 18:12:10 +0000 ILoveLettie 2236553@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I work in Early Childhood Education and definitely think that turnover is so normal. Nothing in your post seemed to me definitively like a red flag--though it could be, there also could be explanations that are very normal to daycare jobs. Some have already been mentioned--daycare teachers are lowly paid, and many use it as a stepping stone to full-time teaching jobs at elementary schools (often they have benefits, unlike MANY daycares, which if they do have benefits are minimal). At my current center, two teachers stepped down within months of each other. Both had been working for 4+ years at the same center and were great teachers. It was nothing to do with the administration, but they did dislike the new state requirements--which if you live in a state with heavy early childhood program/licensing requirements are completely out of your daycare's control and are going to be the same in your state no matter what center you go to. We've had other turnover as well for diverse reasons: teachers wanting to stay home with their own kids/grandkids, wanting to continue their education (MANY people who work at daycare centers only have their associate's degree, at most), wanting to eventually open their own center (I know both a teacher and a director who stepped down for this reason). So unless there are other red flags in conjunction with the turnover, I wouldn't worry. However, I do feel bad for your daughter--that's a very hard thing for kids who build relationships so strongly, and hard for us to leave them as well. It's definitely not a decision most Early Childhood Educators take lightly! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/staff-turnover-at-daycare#post-2236543 Tue, 14 Jul 2015 17:57:01 +0000 Truth Bombs 2236543@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Turn over is kind of the nature of the beast but two things about your story were kind of a red flag. The first is that multiple teachers are leaving at the same time. As others have said, teachers often move on to better opportunities, but it seems unlikely both your LOs main teachers would get new opportunities at the same time. The other thing is that the moves are sudden. Any time a teacher at our school is leaving there is a transitional period between the old teacher and the new teacher and an email sent to the parents of the affected students with a least a week's notice (usually two) telling us the plan of action. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/staff-turnover-at-daycare#post-2236506 Tue, 14 Jul 2015 17:05:32 +0000 mauxie 2236506@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would question the sudden departure of the teacher + director.. I think that might signal administrative issues. </p> <p>How is the culture of the school in terms of parents being able to easily question why a teacher is leaving, or staff morale? </p> <p>Our daycare does have turnover from time to time but for the most part it is because the teachers move on to other schools after finishing their credentials/degrees, or they move to another location (within the same daycare corporate chain; like KinderCare, though ours isn't). The teachers always tell us a couple weeks prior to their last day and usually write a goodbye note in the newsletter for the entire center to see (not just their particular class). I would NOT be cool with a teacher leaving suddenly after having built a relationship with my child and would expect the director to address/explain it somehow. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/staff-turnover-at-daycare#post-2236501 Tue, 14 Jul 2015 16:56:52 +0000 Miss Ariel 2236501@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My lo is only 7 months but I've dropped her off with the same person since she started. I do know when I was looking at daycares last year I talked to a coworker who told me her son went through like 3 teachers in his first 9 or so months. Maybe it's chance? But it could also have something more concrete behind it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/staff-turnover-at-daycare#post-2236498 Tue, 14 Jul 2015 16:49:33 +0000 lilteacherbee 2236498@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hotchildinthecity: Definitely. I told my husband that I didn't feel comfortable working at a school where I knew I would never send my own kid because of sketchiness. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/staff-turnover-at-daycare#post-2236495 Tue, 14 Jul 2015 16:44:58 +0000 hotchildinthecity 2236495@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lilteacherbee: I have faith in the school/daycare because my son's EI therapists go there all week. One of them said he really looked hard at it and couldn't find anything wrong, and ended up sending his daughter there. I trust that they see "behind the scenes"</p> <p>I agree it's just the nature of daycare jobs a lot of the time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/staff-turnover-at-daycare#post-2236491 Tue, 14 Jul 2015 16:42:09 +0000 lilteacherbee 2236491@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hotchildinthecity: This. I taught at a daycare for a year after college until I got a job at a school. The pay is not the best and lots of teachers stayed until they finished college and then they moved, got other jobs, etc.</p> <p>I will say, though, that in my experience (even in pre-k/elementary schools), if the turnover is ridiculous, there's usually something going on with the administration. For example, I taught at a pre-k center with 10 teachers before getting my current job. From August to January, 8 of those 10 had quit (myself included) because of things the admin was doing that was unfair. Totally different situation than the first daycare I was at (they were AWESOME, it's just kinda the culture of daycare jobs). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/staff-turnover-at-daycare#post-2236489 Tue, 14 Jul 2015 16:36:50 +0000 autumnlove 2236489@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had a few teachers leave this year when they got FT elementary/junior high school teaching jobs. Some of them still have their kids enrolled in daycare or preschool! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/staff-turnover-at-daycare#post-2236479 Tue, 14 Jul 2015 16:19:32 +0000 Mrs. Peanut 2236479@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't have LOs, but I used to work at a daycare. We didn't have many issues with turn over. Sometimes the younger staff members would quit for better jobs in schools or to go to college. However, it wasn't often sudden. Having a director leave also is a little unusual, although not necessarily indicative of foul play. Do you sense anything about the tone of the day care? Does everyone seem upbeat and cheerful? If not, something may be going on behind the scenes. Most likely, one of the higher ups is hard on the staff, or there is something going on with their pay, or expectations are unrealistically high. My bet is something along those lines. It's unlikely that it would affect your LO at all (with the exception that her teachers are leaving), but if you're concerned, it may be something to inquire about further. It could be nothing too. I would go with your gut. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/staff-turnover-at-daycare#post-2236475 Tue, 14 Jul 2015 16:14:47 +0000 hotchildinthecity 2236475@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Nah, this happens at my daycare too. It's a tough job to keep people there. The pay isn't so great, the hours are long, it's gotta be stressful watching a full class of toddlers all day. I know some teachers who used it as a stepping stone on their way to a teaching job. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/staff-turnover-at-daycare#post-2236469 Tue, 14 Jul 2015 16:08:56 +0000 catlady 2236469@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO's favorite teacher suddenly left our daycare yesterday, along with one of the directors. This is the second time this has happened in less than a year (last fall, LO's two main teachers both left on the same day). Not sure if this is a problem with my daycare center or if daycare staff turnover rates are high generally. We still love our daycare but this is starting to spook us (plus as LO gets older, it is harder for her to understand when her favorite teachers just disappear).</p> <p>If you use a daycare, what has the turnover been like in your experience? </p>