Burnout and Perceptions of Child Behavior Among Childcare Professionals

Burnout is an increasing concern among working professionals; however, relatively little research has examined burnout among those in the childcare field. This is a major gap, given high demand for childcare services in the United States coupled with high rates of turnover in the field. Between February 2019 and January 2020, 320 home- and center-based childcare professionals completed an online survey about their experiences, which included the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and questions about perceptions of child behaviors. Organizational/administrative challenges emerged as a significant predictor of burnout. Burnout was significantly related to childcare professionals’ perceptions of how difficult it was to effectively respond to relatively common challenging child behaviors. Results underscore the importance of enhanced supports for childcare professionals at risk of burnout.