Permanent recruiting for preschools and child care centers across Washington.
Lead teachers, assistant teachers, directors and assistant directors all need ECE certificates verified in MERIT. A rule that took effect August 1, 2026 set the deadline at August 1, 2030, and people hired or promoted later get 5 years from their hire date, which gives you room to hire people who are still finishing.
If you accept Working Connections (WCCC) for children not yet in school, you have to take part in Early Achievers, and professional development and training is one of the areas it rates. We ask where each candidate stands on certificates before you interview them.
Under the 2026-27 ECEAP standards, lead teachers need an associate or higher in ECE, and assistants need the ECE Initial Certificate. You can still hire either one with a high school diploma, as long as they’re on a Professional Development Plan and qualify within 5 years.
Washington has the 13th-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 Washington centers, from lead and assistant teachers to cooks, assistant directors, center directors and regional leaders. Every hire is a permanent placement on your payroll.
Anywhere in the state, including Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue, Everett, Spokane and Vancouver.
Child care employees in Washington averaged $38,145 a year in 2025, including part-time staff, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay depends on the role, credentials and the school.
Directors must be 18, with 2 years as a teacher plus 6 months of administration or management experience, and a Washington ECE state certificate or equivalent verified in MERIT. New directors can start with 10, 25 or 45 ECE quarter credits, depending on center size, and have 5 years to earn the certificate. See the full Washington director rules.
Lead and assistant teachers must be 18 with a high school diploma or equivalent, complete Child Care Basics before working unsupervised, and earn the ECE Initial Certificate within 5 years of hire. Staff already in place have until August 1, 2030. See the full Washington teacher rules.
Early Achievers is Washington's quality rating system, and programs that take Working Connections (WCCC) subsidy must participate.
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.