Permanent recruiting for preschools and child care centers across Ohio.
Step Up To Quality rates programs Bronze, Silver or Gold. You need a rating to accept Publicly Funded Child Care (PFCC), and ECE grant programs have to be Silver or Gold. Ohio law keeps bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees out of the rating, so experience and Ohio Approved training hours carry more weight when you hire.
Staff training is tracked in the Ohio Professional Registry (OPR). We ask candidates for their OPR profile and Career Pathways Level early, so you can see their training before the interview.
ECE grant programs have to keep a Silver or Gold rating, at least half of their teachers need an approved bachelor’s degree, and teachers complete 20 hours of professional development every 2 years. We recruit for that profile specifically.
Ohio has the eighth-largest child care center workforce in the country.
Private centers with paid staff across the state.
Average annual pay per child care employee in 2025, including part-time staff (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
We recruit for every role in Ohio centers, from lead and assistant teachers and floaters to cooks, assistant directors and center directors. Every hire is a permanent placement on your payroll.
Anywhere in the state. Recent searches have included Columbus, Dublin, Powell, Gahanna, Cincinnati and Blue Ash.
On roles we have recruited for in Ohio, posted teacher pay has ranged from about $14 to $24 an hour, and center director pay from $55,000 to $69,000 a year. Pay depends on the role, credentials and the school.
A high school diploma plus an approved option, such as an associate in ECE, a Montessori credential, an Ohio administrator credential or Career Pathways Level 3. A CDA or four ECE courses also qualify with 2 years of experience. Ohio no longer requires a bachelor’s. See the full Ohio director rules.
Ohio sets no separate lead teacher qualification. Staff must be at least 16 and have finished high school, or be a junior or senior in an approved ECE program, then complete 6 hours of training a year. See the full Ohio teacher rules.
Under OAC 5180:2-12-18, ratios are (max group size in parentheses): infants under 12 months 1:5, or 2:12 (12); 12 to 18 months 1:6 (12); 18 months to 2.5 years 1:7 (14); 2.5 to 3 years 1:8 (16); 3-year-olds 1:12 (24); 4-year-olds not yet in kindergarten 1:14 (28); kindergarten-eligible to 11 years 1:18 (36). The youngest child sets the ratio.
Step Up To Quality, run by the Ohio Department of Children and Youth, now rates programs Bronze, Silver or Gold instead of stars. A rating is required to provide publicly funded child care, and Bronze requires half of lead teachers to hold a CDA or Career Pathway Level 2.
We contact you within 24 hours of your request, and our sourcing team starts after a short intake call. Book a call to talk through your open roles.
We handle the search so you can run your school. From single classrooms to multi-site networks, we find the people who fit.