Child Care Lead Teacher - Early Childhood Education

About the role

Join our growing team in a new and state of the art childcare development center! Be a part of helping us set-up this brand new center for success and become a part of building a team!

Responsibilities

• Mentorship
• Assists the ADs in helping childcare assistants translate professional development training into practice by mentoring, guiding, and role-modeling.
• Models appropriate behaviors and techniques for working with children and youth.
• Consults frequently with the Executive Director, ADs and the Training and Curriculum Specialist for guidance on strategies to further assist team members' professional development.
• Developmentally Appropriate Practice
• Complete on-going assessments of each child to develop a variety of strategies which will promote and support children’s learning and developmental progress.
• Make appropriate referrals based on screenings and on-going assessments.
• Support each child's individual learning and development by providing an environment offering developmentally appropriate equipment and materials.
• Be inclusive of children with disabilities by following the child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) or the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP).
• Provide a daily program which balances adult and child-initiated activities in both large and small groups, indoor and outdoor play, and timely and predictable transitions.
• Develop and implement lesson plans based on the ELM curriculum.
• Provide opportunities for creative self-expression through art, music, movement, and dramatic play.
• Support the social and emotional development of each child by building trust, fostering independence, encouraging self-confidence, and supporting positive adult and peer relationships.
• Encourage positive guidance by setting clear, consistent limits, and having realistic expectations.
• Support the home language, culture, and family composition of each child by encouraging the feelings and rights of others.
• Plan appropriate field trips to be approved by the Executive Director.
• Health, Safety, and Nutritional Procedures
• Provides care and supervision, oversight, and accountability for children in care.
• Maintains control of and accounts for the whereabouts and safety of children in care.
• Implement the agencies approved food policies.
• Practice and model the sanitation and hygiene procedures including hand washing, cleaning and disinfecting toys and furniture, and providing children with space to place personal belongings.
• Comply with policies regarding blood borne pathogens to adequately protect children and staff.
• Ensure that emergency information for each child is current and files are updated regularly.
• Follow the policies regarding temporary exclusion and physician notification of diagnosis.
• Practice the policies regarding medication administration and storage.
• Provide an indoor and outdoor environment supervised in accordance with Child Care Administration licensing regulations and free of environmental and physical hazards.
• Comply with the agencies approved Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting policy.
• Complete daily attendance records for each child.
• Respond to emergency situations by implementing emergency preparedness procedures.
• Supervise the nutritional aspects of the program by assisting children with “family style” meals, sitting with children during designated mealtimes, talking with the children during the meal/snack time and appropriately scheduling meals into the daily schedule.
• Serve all food that is on the planned menu, unless directed otherwise.
• Serve purchased food replacements for children with specific and physician documented dietary needs.
• Incorporate nutrition and related topics into daily activities and lesson plans.
• Inventories equipment on a recurring basis, recommends replenishing damaged, missing, and depleted supplies and purchases needed items.
• Secures supplies, equipment, and facilities in both the indoor and outdoor environment.
• Ensures compliance with law, policies, and regulations.
• Staff and Parent Responsibilities
• Follow and implement the Early Learning Matters (ELM) curriculum.
• Make timely requisitions for health, safety, and classroom supplies.
• Maintain all necessary records and documentation.
• Supervise the daily responsibilities of the assigned assistant childcare teacher.
• Provide adequate notification in your absence for all approved leave, which includes personal days and advanced scheduled sick leave.
• Create a Substitute Guide including class lists, supplemental activity guides, outlines of daily schedules and transitions, and the location of all emergency evacuations and contact information.
• Attend all scheduled staff development days and any additional training sessions.
• Attend all staff meetings.
• Invite parents to become an integral part of the program, by providing opportunities for parents to participate in classroom activities.
• Encourage parents to provide information regarding their child by scheduling and conducting two parent and teacher conferences throughout the year.
• Aid parents with transitioning from one classroom to another or from the child development center to kindergarten.
• Communicate with parents regularly, verbally and non-verbally.
• Participate in the creation of newsletters which will highlight classroom activities and upcoming events.
• Based on the child’s individual needs, suggest parent/child activities for the child to complete with their family.
• Communicate in a professional and respectful manner with parents and guardians.
• Aid in obtaining community partners and resources to provide and support families.

Qualifications

• Must be 18 years of age or older.
• Must hold an Associate, Baccalaureate, or Advanced Degree in Early Childhood Education OR a related field OR Child Development Associate (CDA) and 12 months experience in an early childhood setting.
• Must have all required education and experience to meet current Virginia State licensing requirements for qualifications.
• Must pass Federal, State, Child Protective Services Checks, National Sex Offender Registry, and if living out of the State of Virginia in the last 5 years all applicable Out of State checks applicable.
• Must have knowledge of Virginia licensing regulations.
• Basic knowledge of MS Office and ProCare/childcare management software.
• Must participate in continued professional development through enrollment in formal and informal educational courses related to early childhood education.
• Must be familiar with accreditation standards.
• Preferred to have experience with military families and their children.
• Required to do considerable walking, standing, bending, stooping, and lifting to 40 pounds.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical, provide evidence of immunization and be free from communicable disease.
• Must satisfactorily obtain or complete required training certificates and maintain certifications or credentials required by Federal, State or National Accreditation Institutions as used by the CDC.
• Must provide a copy of your Associate, Baccalaureate, or Advanced Degree in Early Childhood Education or College Transcripts (Showing degree awarded/conferred) when you apply OR a copy of your Child Development Associate (CDA) when you apply.

Compensation and Benefits

• Sign-on Bonus: Eligible candidates will receive a $500 sign-on bonus upon hire.
• Retailer Bonus: Earn up to $1750 in retention bonuses, distributed over key employment milestones as part of our commitment to employee satisfaction and longevity.