Center Aide

About the role

CCSCT empowers vulnerable families and individuals in greater South Central Texas to achieve self-sufficiency by eliminating barriers through innovative programs and strong community partnerships. The Center Aide is responsible for assisting the EHS/HS Teacher in providing care and education for children and their families in a child care setting, in addition to providing a supportive, safe, and stimulating learning environment.

Responsibilities

• Assists with maintaining a calm, safe classroom and playground that incorporates developmental appropriateness; assists in creating an atmosphere in which the children feel comfortable and secure, reflecting the cultures of all enrolled children.
• Ensures the safety of children through constant supervision, effective arrangement of space, proper maintenance of equipment and regular practice of fire drills and other emergency procedures.
• Assists with incorporating developmentally appropriate practice according to the Head Start Performance Standards.
• Assists with ensuring continuity of curriculum and high standards of equality in the classroom; works individually with children who experience difficulty in group activities.
• Assists with consistently implementing center routines, including hand washing, tooth brushing, eating, napping, and transitioning between activities (HS children only).
• Assists children in developing self-help skills including diapering, toilet training, hygiene, feeding, dressing and daily activities in a caring, nurturing and supportive learning environment (EHS children only).
• Operates the classroom in compliance with all childcare-licensing standards, paying particular attention to standards prohibiting any form of physical punishment.
• Assists with ensuring the arrangement of each classroom provides a stimulating, clean, and safe learning environment.
• Assists with completion of daily documentation as required.
• Assists with providing a variety of planned activities designed to encourage individual and group play and assists in providing a variety of language stimulation activities.
• Provides experiences that promote individual self-expression in conversation, imaginative play, and creativity and provides positive guidance to promote self-esteem.
• Provides experiences involving thinking skills such as generalizing, classifying, sorting, and problem solving.
• Observes, records, and reports any child's behavior, sharing information appropriately with other staff members.
• Shows personal development and growth by being relaxed, using a calm, quiet voice, being pleasant and enthusiastic about the children, and by using self-control in trying situations.
• Reports all suspected child abuse to the Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-252-5400 or to an immediate supervisor.
• Encourages the involvement of the families of the children in a Head Start program and supports the development of relationships between children and their families.
• Follows CCSCT Policies and Procedures and maintains confidentiality in all phases of agency operations.
• Familiarizes self with the agency's Strategic Plan and gains an overall understanding of how position contributes to the accomplishment of goals within that plan.
• Attends and participates in staff meetings and related activities; attends conferences, workshops, and trainings to increase professional knowledge; serves on committees as assigned.
• Performs other related duties as assigned or required.

Benefits

• Competitive Pay
• Welcoming and Friendly Environment
• Retirement Plan with Match
• Professional Development Opportunities