Leading a Team in Daycare: Tips for Management

Leading a Team in Daycare: Tips for Management

Daycare management is one of the most demanding leadership roles there is. You lead a team of professionals with different qualifications, experience levels and personalities — often under time pressure, with limited resources and high emotional strain. At the same time, you are responsible for pedagogical quality, parent satisfaction and the financial operation.

This guide gives you tried-and-tested strategies and concrete tools for team leadership in childcare. From designing productive team meetings to conflict management and burnout prevention — here you will find everything you need as a daycare manager for successful team leadership.

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The Special Challenge: Leading in Daycare

Team leadership in daycare differs fundamentally from leadership in an office or industrial setting. The key differences:

What Makes Daycare Leadership Different

Key Difference	Consequence for Leadership
High emotional strain	Burnout prevention is a leadership responsibility
Shortage of qualified staff	Staff retention has the highest priority
Young team (many career starters)	Strong mentoring and guidance needed
Working with children = little buffer time	Team meetings and conversations must be well planned
Small teams (5–15 people)	Every person matters, conflicts quickly affect the whole team
Shift operation (early/late)	Ensuring information flow is more difficult
Parents as "customers"	Team communication must work internally and externally

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Leadership Style: What Works in Daycare?

There is no single right leadership style. But research and practice show that certain approaches are particularly effective in childcare.

Situational Leadership

The situational leadership approach adapts the style to the situation and the competence of the employee:

Employee	Competence	Appropriate Leadership Style
New intern	Low, but motivated	Directing: Clear instructions, close guidance
Apprentice in 2nd year	Growing, sometimes uncertain	Coaching: Explaining, supporting, encouraging
Experienced childcare worker	High, independent	Delegating: Trust, give freedom
New group leader	Professionally strong, but in a new role	Supporting: Sparring, providing backup

Fundamental Attitude: Appreciative and Clear

The most effective combination in daycare leadership is appreciation and clarity:

• Appreciation: See what your team achieves. Acknowledge it. Say it out loud.
• Clarity: Name expectations clearly. Set boundaries. Make decisions.

Remember: Appreciation without clarity is perceived as arbitrariness. Clarity without appreciation as harshness. Both together create trust and orientation.

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Team Meetings: The Most Important Leadership Tool

Regular team meetings are the backbone of team communication. Yet in many daycares, meetings are unpopular — because they are too long, too unstructured or too unproductive.

Formats and Frequency

Format	Frequency	Duration	Participants	Content
Full team meeting	1x/month	90 min	Everyone	Organisational matters, pedagogical topics, reflection
Group meeting	1x/week	30–45 min	Group team	Daily business, child observations, planning
Management meeting	1x/week	15–30 min	Management + group leaders	Overview, issues, coordination
Supervision	4–6x/year	90 min	Everyone	Case discussions, team dynamics, reflection

How to Design Productive Team Meetings

1. Distribute the agenda in advance: Every team member can contribute topics (e.g. via a shared document or notice board)
2. Time limits per topic: Prevents endless discussions
3. Rotate moderation: The manager doesn't always have to moderate — this strengthens personal responsibility
4. Document decisions: Who does what by when? Put it in writing
5. Include pedagogical reflection: At least 30 minutes per monthly meeting for case discussions or concept work
6. Check-in and check-out: 5 minutes at the beginning and end — How am I feeling today? What am I taking away?

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Managing Conflicts in the Team

Conflicts are part of team life. In daycare teams, where people work closely together and are emotionally challenged, they arise particularly easily. What matters is not whether conflicts occur — but how you deal with them.

Typical Sources of Conflict in Daycare Teams

• Different pedagogical approaches: "I think children shouldn't play in the rain" vs. "We go outside in any weather"
• Unequal workload distribution: "I always do the closing, the others leave on time"
• Generational conflicts: Experienced professional vs. young career starter
• Communication problems: Information that doesn't get passed on
• Personal differences: Sympathies and antipathies that burden the daily routine

The 4-Step Model for Conflict Resolution

Step 1: Recognise and Address Address conflicts early — the longer you wait, the more difficult it becomes. Have individual conversations with those involved: "I've noticed there are tensions. I'd like to understand what's going on."

Step 2: Understand Perspectives Listen to both sides without taking sides. Summarise what you have heard. Goal: Each side feels understood.

Step 3: Develop a Solution Together Bring those involved together (mediation meeting). Set clear rules: let each other finish, use "I" statements, no accusations. Goal: An agreement both can live with.

Step 4: Follow Up Check after 2 to 4 weeks whether the agreement is holding. If not: bring in external supervision.

When Do You Need External Help?

• When you are part of the conflict yourself
• When the conflict escalates despite intervention
• When bullying or discrimination is involved
• When the team is divided (factions forming)

Invest in regular supervision — it is the most effective tool for preventing and resolving team conflicts.

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Motivation and Appreciation

In a sector with low wages and high demands, motivation is an ongoing task. The good news: motivation depends less on salary than on leadership and work culture.

What Really Motivates Daycare Staff

Studies on job satisfaction in childcare show: the most important motivational factors are:

1. Appreciation: The feeling of being seen and recognised
2. Autonomy: Being allowed to help shape and decide
3. Purpose: Experiencing the work as meaningful
4. Team cohesion: Good relationships within the team
5. Development: Opportunities for further training and personal growth

Concrete Measures for Showing Appreciation

Measure	Effort	Impact
Personal praise (specific, timely)	Minimal	Very high
Celebrating birthdays and work anniversaries	Low	High
Team events (shared meal, outing)	Medium	High
Staff appraisal (1x/year, structured)	Medium	Very high
Enabling and funding further training	Medium–High	Very high
Co-determination in pedagogical decisions	Low	Very high
Flexible working hours (where possible)	Low	High
Small thank-you at year end	Low	High

Important: Praise must be specific and authentic. "You're doing a great job" is nice but ineffective. "The way you resolved the conflict between Lena and Tim this morning — that was truly empathetic and professional" — that makes an impact.

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Burnout Prevention: Your Responsibility as a Manager

Burnout is a serious problem in childcare. The combination of emotional strain, noise, high responsibility and often insufficient external recognition makes childcare workers particularly vulnerable.

Recognising Warning Signs

Phase	Signs
Early phase	Frequent tiredness, irritability, less engagement
Middle phase	Cynicism, emotional distance from children, frequent sick leave
Late phase	Exhaustion, drop in performance, depressive mood, long-term absence

What You Can Do as a Manager

1. Plan workload realistically: Don't constantly work at the limit. Build in buffers.
2. Enable breaks: Real breaks where staff are not simultaneously supervising children.
3. Offer supervision: Regular, professional support for emotional relief.
4. Open conversation culture: Staff should be able to say when they are overwhelmed — without fear of negative consequences.
5. Encourage further training: New impulses and perspectives work against routine and exhaustion.
6. Model your own boundaries: If you as a manager constantly work overtime and never take breaks, it signals to the team: this is the standard.

More on recruiting and retaining qualified staff in our guide Staff Shortage: Solutions for Daycares.

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Onboarding New Team Members

The induction of new staff determines whether they feel welcome, quickly integrate into the team and stay long-term. A structured onboarding process is not a luxury — it is an investment in quality and staff retention.

Onboarding Plan for New Daycare Staff

Period	Content	Responsible
Before start	Contract, information material, welcome message	Management
Day 1	Tour, introduce team, workplace, keys, hand over concept	Management + mentor
Week 1	Learn daily structure, introduce children and parents, show emergency plans	Mentor
Weeks 2–4	Increasingly independent work, daily brief feedback	Mentor
Month 1 (end)	Check-in meeting: How are you? What do you need? Goals for the coming weeks	Management
Month 3 (end)	Probation meeting: Does it work for both sides?	Management

Introducing a Mentoring System

Assign each new person an experienced team member as a mentor. The mentor is the first point of contact for questions, shows processes and provides orientation in daily work. This relieves you as a manager and gives the new person a consistent reference person.

For an overview of all training paths and qualification levels, read our guide Training Paths in Childcare.

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Delegation and Role Clarity

Many daycare managers struggle with delegation. They want to control everything, do everything themselves, know everything. This leads to overload for the manager and underutilisation of the team.

Delegating Effectively

1. Describe the task clearly: What exactly needs to be done? By when? To what standard?
2. Choose the right person: Who has the competence? Who wants to develop?
3. Grant authority: Who decides what? Where is consultation needed?
4. Signal trust: "I trust you to do this well."
5. Adjust oversight: New person: check more closely. Experienced person: check the result, not the method.

Clearly Define Roles in the Team

In small daycare teams, roles quickly blur: the group leader jumps into the kitchen, the manager changes nappies, the intern conducts parent meetings. Flexibility is important — but every person needs clarity about their core responsibilities.

Role	Core Responsibilities
Daycare manager	Staff leadership, budget responsibility, parent relations (strategic), quality development, contact with authorities
Group leader	Pedagogical leadership of the group, planning, parent meetings, guiding apprentices
Childcare professional	Pedagogical work, observation, documentation, team collaboration
Apprentice	Learning, supporting, taking on tasks under guidance
Intern	Observing, supporting, gaining initial experience

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Communication Culture in the Team

An open, honest and appreciative communication culture is the foundation of a strong team. As a manager, you set the tone.

Rules for Team Communication

1. We address problems directly — not behind each other's backs
2. We use "I" statements — "I have the impression..." rather than "You always..."
3. We listen before we judge
4. We give feedback promptly and specifically — not only at the annual review
5. We respect different opinions — diversity is a strength
6. We keep our agreements — and speak up when that doesn't happen

Giving Feedback: The 3-W Method

A simple and effective feedback model:

• Observation (Wahrnehmung): "I noticed that you took over the morning circle this morning without preparation."
• Impact (Wirkung): "This meant the children were restless and the circle took twice as long."
• Wish (Wunsch): "I would like you to briefly prepare the morning circle the evening before."

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Fostering Team Development

Staff Appraisals

Conduct at least one structured appraisal per year with each person. Content:

• Review: What went well? What was difficult?
• Strengths and areas for development
• Goals for the coming period
• Further training wishes
• Satisfaction and wellbeing

Training Plan

Create an annual training plan for the whole team:

• What topics are relevant for the team? (e.g. language development, first aid, conflict management)
• What individual training wishes are there?
• How is the budget distributed?
• Who attends which training and shares what they learned with the team?

On employment law and educational leave: read our guide Employment Law in Daycare.

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Checklist: Team Leadership in Daycare

• Reflect on leadership style and adapt situationally
• Introduce regular team meetings (monthly + weekly)
• Organise supervision (4 to 6 times per year)
• Conflict management: Address early, know mediation models
• Live appreciation daily (specific, authentic, personal)
• Know and take burnout warning signs seriously
• Create an onboarding plan for new staff
• Introduce a mentoring system
• Clearly define roles and responsibilities
• Conduct annual staff appraisals
• Create a training plan and budget accordingly
• Regularly develop your own leadership competence

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Conclusion: Good Leadership Makes the Difference

The quality of a daycare stands and falls with the quality of team leadership. A team that feels valued, supported and well led delivers better pedagogical work, stays longer and weathers difficult phases. As a manager, you are not the person who does everything alone — you are the person who enables others to give their best.

The key points:

1. Lead situationally — adapt your style to the person and situation
2. Invest in team meetings — they are your most important leadership tool
3. Address conflicts early — they don't disappear on their own
4. Show specific, daily appreciation — it costs nothing and achieves a lot
5. Take care of yourself — only those who are in good shape can lead others well

Want to strengthen your team and find new qualified staff? On kizi.ch for providers you reach families in your region and strengthen your position as an attractive employer.

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Sources: kibesuisse — Swiss Childcare Association, Swiss Childcare Network, Marie Meierhofer Institute for the Child, SECO — State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (burnout studies), specialist literature on leadership in social organisations. As of: February 2026.