Do you enjoy working with young children? Are you interested in helping to prepare them academically and socially for their future? If so, you might want to consider pursuing an online childhood development degree.

After earning an online child development degree, you will be qualified to work as a daycare worker or even as a preschool teacher. In either capacity, your job is to help children below the age of six develop psychologically and academically. Depending upon the age of the children you work with, you may find yourself needing to take care of the basic needs of the children as well. This may include feeding the children or even potty training them and changing diapers.

Although preschool teachers are generally expected to focus on academics more than daycare workers, a growing number of parents are expecting daycares to handle academics as well. Therefore, if you hope to start your own daycare or to obtain a job with an established daycare, you should expect to work on academics as well. Considering the young age of the children, you will also spend time working on the social and emotional growth of the children while also engaging them in activities that will help them with physical growth as well.

If you intend to open your own daycare center, you will likely need to obtain licensure from your state. In fact, most states require daycare workers to obtain licensure for their daycare centers, even if they are providing the services in their homes. As part of the licensure procedure, it is generally necessary to undergo a background check, to be trained in first aid and CPR, to be trained in health and safety issues and to obtain certain types of immunizations.

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for childcare workers was $17,630 in 2006. Those who worked in residential care facilities earned the highest, with a median annual income of $20,770, while those who worked at elementary and secondary schools earned $20,220 and those who worked with civic and social organizations earned $16,460. Those who worked for child daycare services, on the other hand, earned $16,320 and those who worked at other amusement and recreation industries earned the least with a median annual income of $16,300. The Bureau also reports that those with more education generally earn the highest wages. Therefore, obtaining your online child development degree is a great step toward enjoying greater earnings.