How Tandem Supports Child Care Growth By Easing Staffing Challenges: A Conversation with Fatima Jones

Child care administrators often balance expanding their programs with managing day-to-day challenges like staffing, compliance, and retention. Fatima Jones, a center director who recently quadrupled her space from 300 square feet, shared her experience using Tandem to address her staffing needs and maintain a consistent, high-quality environment for her growing program.

From Apprehension to Partnership: A Transparent Staffing Solution

When Fatima first heard about Tandem, she was cautious. Her primary concern was whether Tandem would provide qualified staff who met the state-mandated compliance standards, including background checks and licensing. But once she understood Tandem’s commitment to quality and safety, her worries eased.

“Tandem felt different from other staffing agencies,” Fatima noted. “Other agencies can feel predatory, but Tandem’s approach is fair, transparent, and flexible.”

Life Before Tandem: Staffing Struggles and Inefficiencies

Before Tandem, Fatima relied on platforms like Indeed, Facebook, and ZipRecruiter to fill her staffing needs. While Indeed provided decent results for hiring higher-level positions, she found it labor-intensive and less efficient for finding qualified substitutes or entry-level roles.

The hiring process for new staff was detailed: Fatima started with a phone screen, followed by an in-person panel interview. “We move quickly once we find the right person because teachers are in high demand,” Fatima explained, emphasizing the need for speed in hiring decisions to secure candidates.

However, even with this thorough process, staffing gaps remained. Fatima found herself and her team spending significant time and energy on hiring and onboarding tasks, from scheduling background checks to setting up fingerprinting. This led her to see Tandem as more than just a staffing solution but as a potential partner for managing the complexities of HR in child care.

The Benefits of Tandem: Alleviating Stress and Supporting Growth

Since joining Tandem, Fatima’s experience with staffing has changed. Having access to a reliable, qualified pool of substitutes has allowed her center to stay overstaffed, reducing the risk of burnout and creating a supportive, comfortable environment for her teachers and students alike. With Tandem, she can confidently manage last-minute needs without relying solely on costly, time-consuming external job boards.

“Tandem gives us the flexibility to maintain a higher staff-to-student ratio, which improves our classroom experience and keeps our staff feeling supported,” Fatima shared. And even when cancellations occur, her team can manage without stress, knowing they have enough coverage to avoid disruptions.

Streamlining HR for Child Care Centers: A Vision for the Future

Fatima envisions an even deeper partnership with Tandem, where the platform extends into the HR realm, supporting everything from onboarding and compliance to benefits and offboarding. The administrative burden of managing HR in a child care setting can feel overwhelming, especially as centers scale and requirements become more complex.

“To bring in staff during a staffing crisis is incredible,” Fatima explained. “But in a dream world, Tandem would help us with the HR side of things too — like generating term letters, managing ongoing compliance, and even helping with benefit packages.”

With her background in business, Fatima appreciates Tandem’s structured approach to staffing and sees the potential for this model to help other centers navigate the limitless constraints of child care. Although there may be pain points along the way, the benefits of Tandem’s platform far outweigh the challenges.

Building a Partnership for Sustainable Child Care Growth

Fatima’s experience reflects the broader value of a reliable, transparent staffing partner in the child care field. With Tandem, her center has achieved greater operational flexibility, enhanced staff satisfaction, and the freedom to grow confidently, knowing she has a support system in place. By addressing both staffing and administrative needs, Tandem helps centers like Fatima’s create a stable environment for children, parents, and staff alike.

For Fatima, Tandem isn’t just a staffing solution; it’s a partner in growth, helping her center thrive without the added stress.