Child Development Teacher

About the Role

The Child Development Teacher is responsible for caring for infants and toddlers, requiring specialized knowledge and skills to properly address their cognitive, social, and emotional developmental needs.

Responsibilities

• Promotes and models the organization’s Core Values.
• Ensures the safety and well-being of children while under care.
• Follows program confidentiality policies concerning information about children, families, and staff.
• Ensures no child is left alone or unsupervised.
• Uses positive methods of child guidance; avoids corporal punishment, emotional or physical abuse, or humiliation.
• Administers medications according to label directions, uses age-appropriate techniques, and documents administration.
• Maintains open, friendly, and cooperative relationships with families, encouraging their involvement and promoting parent-child bonding.
• Promotes feelings of security and trust in infants and toddlers through warm, supportive interactions.
• Provides experiences that develop curiosity, initiative, problem-solving skills, creativity, and a sense of belonging.
• Conducts developmental screenings of motor, language, social, cognitive, perceptual, and emotional skills.
• Plans and prepares healthy and safe activities according to lesson plans.
• Prepares and delivers disinfecting solutions for classrooms daily.
• Develops and teaches weekly lesson plans based on early childhood and assessment tool standards.
• Reports unsafe areas or equipment inside or outside.
• Ensures parents sign in/out with accurate times.
• Maintains proper hygiene for children, equipment, and spaces.
• Reports suspected neglect, abuse, medical conditions, or illnesses immediately.
• Maintains child portfolios and required documentation.
• Aims for an average daily attendance of at least 85% in applicable programs.
• Encourages regular attendance and inquires about absences.
• Reports patterns of absences or special circumstances to supervisors.
• Initiates and documents family support procedures for children with four or more consecutive unexcused absences, including home visits.
• Participates in pre-service training, start-of-year programming, home visits, and health examinations/screenings.
• Actively encourages parents to participate in two home visits annually (except in PCEP positions).
• Files and tracks program-required information in family folders.
• Attends required staff training.
• Incorporates daily classroom procedures consistently.
• Ensures compliance with State and Federal regulations and licensing standards.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Infant and Toddler CDA (Child Development Associate Credential) required.
• Associate or Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education or related field with 18 hours in Early Childhood Education preferred.
• Six months of experience in a licensed childcare facility, public/private school, or early childhood facility or completion of an early childhood degree program with required practicum(s).

Skills

• CPR and First Aid Training.
• Computer literacy with proficiency in assigned databases, software, and systems.
• Interpersonal and team-building skills.
• Spanish fluency helpful but not required.
• Strong organizational, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• Dependable transportation, valid driver’s license, clean driving record, and auto liability insurance.

Working Conditions

• Mental and physical demands: Maintain emotional control under stress; work with interruptions and deadlines; walking, standing, stooping, bending, pulling, and pushing; occasional lifting/carrying of 10-30 pounds.
• Vision requirements: Close, distance, color, peripheral, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
• Environmental factors: Occasional exposure to biological hazards (communicable diseases, bacteria, insects, mold, fungi) and weather-related conditions during outdoor work.

Travel: 0-5% annually, mostly local.