Infant Toddler Teacher - Toppenish

About the Role

This position is responsible for preparing and executing daily activities and lesson plans for children, incorporating each child’s home language and culture into the center’s activities. The role involves providing a strong language model by speaking clearly and distinctly, fostering vocabulary development, and ensuring a safe, healthy, and engaging learning environment.

Inspire Development Centers provides Early Childhood Education (ECE) and social services to over 4,000 children across more than 25 centers in Washington State, serving programs such as Regional Head Start (RHS), Migrant Seasonal Head Start (MSHS), Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP), and Early Head Start (EHS). The agency operates under federal and state regulations and requires coordination of various funding stipulations, including an annual non-federal share (in-kind) contribution.

Responsibilities

• Provide a safe and healthy learning environment for children, adhering to all state and federal regulations regarding instruction, health, and safety standards.
• Develop and implement lesson plans for classroom activities and Home Learning Tasks.
• Complete daily USDA Meal counts and monitor classroom documentation to ensure compliance with program procedures and timelines.
• Promote physical, cognitive, language, and creative skills in children, including those requiring special services.
• Attend teacher meetings to facilitate mentoring and professional development for classroom staff.
• Reinforce positive communication, respect, and interaction between children and adults.
• Actively involve parents in center activities through home visits, parent-teacher conferences, open houses, and collaborative sessions.
• Follow established program curriculums, procedures, documentation, and service plans.
• Monitor and provide technical assistance to teaching staff in coordination with Lead ECE Specialist or School Readiness Liaison.
• Perform administrative duties as assigned and collaborate with teachers to ensure consistency and best practices in the classroom.
• Model appropriate instructional techniques for teachers and volunteers.
• Complete all required documentation, including Daily Assessment forms, Feeding Guides, and Health checks.
• Engage in age-appropriate interactions and classroom activities, such as free play, mealtime, floor time, and may include bathing, diaper changing, and formula preparation for infants.
• Follow center procedures for receiving and discharging children.
• Pursue professional growth through staff meetings, workshops, seminars, and additional training on child development; mentor CDA candidates.
• Administer educational screenings, identify, and refer children with potential high-risk health, disability, or behavioral concerns.
• Maintain confidentiality of program and client-related information at all times.

Requirements

• Current Child Development Associate Certificate (CDA) or comparable certificate (State Initial ECE Certificate), or equivalent coursework in early childhood development with a focus on infant and toddler development; or an Associate’s Degree in ECE or an Associate’s Degree with 30 ECE-related college credits.
• Extensive knowledge and understanding of child development theories and practices.
• Experience working in a federally funded and regulated environment.
• Experience in policy and procedure processes, planning, and facilitating groups.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Experience in classroom risk management and understanding of service system interrelationships.
• Ability to learn new tasks quickly, handle multiple tasks simultaneously, and meet deadlines.
• Strong customer service focus and ability to work with a culturally diverse population.
• Proficiency in personal computer use, including Microsoft Office, and accurate data documentation and recordkeeping skills.
• At least six months of experience in a child care setting.

Position Requirements

• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• Valid Washington State driver’s license and proof of automobile insurance.
• Ability to travel to perform job duties and responsibilities.
• Must pass initial and periodic criminal and background checks, including Department of Early Learning (DEL) background check.
• Must pass initial and periodic employee health clearance (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 HIV/AIDS and Blood Borne Pathogen training (within 30 days of employment).
• Subject to random drug screening.
• Obtain required initial STARS/MERIT training within six months of employment.
• Complete 15 hours of continuing in-service training and 10 hours of continuing STARS/MERIT training annually.
• Must sign a Confidentiality Agreement and annual Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous Head Start experience.
• English/Spanish bilingual fluency.

Work Environment & Physical Demands

• Work is performed at a Childhood Development Center, primarily with and around children in a safe and healthy learning environment.
• Frequent ability to sit, stand, walk, balance, stoop, catch, move to music, and run.
• Occasional ability to communicate in person, via telephone, or video conference.
• Occasional ability to lift and/or move up to 40 pounds.
• Occasional ability to restrain a child.
• Occasional ability to push/pull, kneel, bend, taste, or smell.
• Occasional local and statewide travel.
• Frequent ability to write, keyboard, read, and use hands to handle or move objects, tools, or controls.
• Frequent specific vision abilities, including close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
• Frequent exposure to seasonal weather elements (hot, dry, cold, rain, wind).
• Frequent handling of cleaning/sterilizing agents.
• Ability to adjust to noise levels ranging from quiet to moderate.
• Frequent exposure to moderate temperatures in a controlled environment.

Benefits

A summary of benefits associated with this position can be found at https://inspirecenters.org/careers/.