Intention to leave, anticipated reasons for leaving, and 12-month turnover of child care center staff

Job turnover among a sample of 169 child care workers from rural and semi-rural parts of Pennsylvania was examined in relation to demographic, work related and nonwork related factors. Findings indicate that the perceived choice of other jobs and job tenure both have an impact on intention to leave, as well as on actual 12 month turnover. Turnover in this study was unrelated to a survey measure of job satisfaction as well as to wages; however, job satisfaction was frequently cited in open ended responses as a reason for staying on the job. Participants' open ended responses suggest that the dynamics of staff:turnover in child care are complex and that motivations for staying on the job may be both similar to and different than motivations for leaving. Possible reasons for failure to replicate previous research on child care staff turnover are explored as are implications for policy and practice.