Classroom Aide/Bus - Quincy

About the Role

This position assists the bus driver in providing safe transportation services to children. The role involves escorting children to and from the vehicle, maintaining constant supervision, and supporting center staff with various duties. Inspire Development Centers offers Early Childhood Education (ECE) and social services across more than 27 centers in Washington State, serving over 4,000 children through programs such as Regional Head Start (RHS), Migrant Seasonal Head Start (MSHS), Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP), and Early Head Start (EHS). A majority of children’s first language is Spanish.

Responsibilities

• Accompany the driver on assigned routes to pick up and drop off children.
• Conduct daily health checks on children before boarding the bus to comply with center health policies.
• Perform pre- and post-trip inspections to ensure children are properly secured in safety restraints or car seats and no children or items are left on the bus.
• Escort and assist children, with special attention to those with disabilities, during boarding and departing the bus.
• Ensure all children are buckled in safety restraints or secured in car seats before the vehicle moves; remain seated with a fastened seat belt when possible.
• Assist parents in completing forms for medication administration and ensure secure transport and delivery of medication and breast milk.
• Serve as a liaison between parents and staff, disseminating and requesting information as instructed.
• Immediately report incidents, accidents, or unusual situations (e.g., child abuse reports) that could place a child at risk and document such incidents in writing.
• Monitor and verify the attendance and presence of children on AM and PM routes, ensuring children are released only to authorized individuals.
• Participate in monthly emergency bus evacuations and safety drills; be knowledgeable about emergency equipment on the bus.
• Assist the driver in maintaining the bus in a clean and sanitary condition.
• In case of a driver medical emergency, stop and secure the vehicle.
• Assist educational staff with visual supervision of children outdoors; wash, dry, and distribute laundry; clean classrooms after meals and prepare for naptime by placing cots.
• Provide staff with scheduled breaks.
• Assist kitchen staff in preparing, delivering, and retrieving food carts for meals, snacks, and field trips.
• Attend staff meetings, workshops, trainings, and seminars to support professional growth.
• Maintain confidentiality of program and client-related information at all times.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or General Educational Development (GED) certificate.
• Enjoys working with young children and can exercise patience.
• Able to communicate in English and/or Spanish (read, write, and speak).
• Flexible to work different schedules, including split shifts and various bus routes.
• Knowledge and understanding of child development.
• Experience in bus and safety risk management.
• Experience with policy and procedure processes.
• Experience working in a group setting.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Understanding of the interrelationships between services and systems.
• Ability to learn new tasks quickly and efficiently, handle multiple tasks simultaneously, and meet deadlines.
• Strong customer service focus and ability to work with a culturally diverse population.
• Knowledge of personal computers, including Microsoft Office.
• Accurate data documentation and recordkeeping skills.

Position Requirements

• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• Must pass initial and periodic criminal and background checks.
• Must pass initial and periodic Department of Early Learning (DEL) background check.
• Must pass initial and periodic employee health clearance (present within 45 days of employment).
• Current Food Handler card (obtain within 30 days of employment).
• Current First Aid/CPR cards (obtain within 30 days of employment).
• Subject to initial and periodic TB screen.
• Complete Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV/AIDS) training within 30 days of employment.
• Complete Blood Borne Pathogen training within 30 days of employment.
• Subject to random drug screen.
• Must sign a Confidentiality Agreement.
• Must complete and sign a Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement annually.

Preferred Qualifications

• English/Spanish bilingual fluency.
• Willingness to develop instructional skills in the field of child development.

Benefits

A summary of benefits associated with this position can be found at https://inspirecenters.org/careers/. Additional information is available in this video: https://youtu.be/MnlRqkvydRw.