Free templateStaff Management

Staff Wellness Checklist Template

A one-page checklist of 11 practical things a center can do for staff wellness, grouped under micro-moments of rest, a team gratitude board, professional growth plans and additional tips.

Format: Printable PDF · A4
Pages: 1
Best for: Directors · room leads
Updated: Sept 2026

Download free template See what’s inside

No sign-up required. Print it and share it with your team — it’s free for any child care program to use.

Preview of the Staff Wellness Checklist Template

What’s inside

Eleven actions in four areas, each with a tick box

Micro-moments of restFive-minute breaks throughout the day, a designated relaxation space, and quick mindfulness or breathing exercises via posters or an app.
Team gratitude boardA space for staff to leave positive notes for each other, and a monthly team meeting to celebrate the accomplishments highlighted on the board.
Professional growth plansSmall, achievable development goals set with each team member, quarterly check-ins on progress, and access to workshops, online courses or child care-related certifications.
Additional tips for wellnessTeam-building activities, healthy snacks and beverages in the breakroom, and flexible scheduling or personal days.

How to use it

Four steps to put it to work this week

1
Tick what you already doGo through the 11 items honestly. The unticked boxes are your to-do list.
2
Pick one or two to startA gratitude board or scheduled five-minute breaks can be in place within a week.
3
Put the recurring items in the calendarThe monthly team meeting and the quarterly growth check-ins only happen if they are scheduled.
4
Do one visible thingA floater for lunch coverage, a schedule change, a thank-you in the staff meeting. Then tick it off.

Tips from operators

What centers that use this well do differently

Learned the hard way across 3,000 child care spaces — and from the directors and educators who join our Lunch & Learns and Learning Labs.

Protect breaks before anything else

Missed breaks are the most common — and most fixable — driver of burnout. Ratio-aware floater scheduling solves most of it.

Look at the calendar, not just the person

Hard months cluster around licensing visits, September intake and staff illness. Plan cover for them.

Recognition costs nothing

Specific, public praise for a small thing beats a generic staff-appreciation week.

Do it digitally in ChildFriendly Pro

Staff files, hours and reviews that keep themselves current

ChildFriendly Pro keeps every educator’s certifications, clearances, PD hours, timecards and review notes in one HR file — with expiry alerts, ratio-aware scheduling and wage top-up hours grouped by level.