Child and Youth Program Assistant (Target Level)

Air Force Materiel Command • Eglin AFB, FL

23h • Onsite

About The Position

This Nonappropriated Fund position is located at Eglin CDC 3 and serves in one or more child and youth programs. The assistant is accountable for the whereabouts and safety of children and youth and provides care, supervision, oversight, and accountability for program participants. The position is offered at target, intermediate, and entry levels. It is in the Flexible category, with 0–40 guaranteed hours per week. Pay is based on experience, education, and/or certification: Target Level $21.76, Intermediate Level $20.35, and Entry Level $18.70. A hiring bonus may be paid to applicants who onboard with a Service Commitment Agreement.

At the target level, the assistant coordinates and conducts activities for children and youth ages 6 weeks through 18 years, fosters positive interactions, accommodates participants with special requirements, leads planned and spontaneous activities, briefs staff, management, and parents, and inventories equipment and supplies. Intermediate-level duties include assisting with activity planning and coordination, implementing age- and stage-appropriate schedules, briefing staff, management, and parents, and inventorying supplies and equipment. Entry-level duties involve routine tasks under step-by-step instructions, assisting with prepared activities and curriculum, identifying needed supplies, fostering positive interactions, and attending to children’s physical needs as applicable.

Across levels, the assistant may prepare age-appropriate activities; supervise indoor and outdoor activities, field trips, outings, and special events; arrange and serve snacks and meals; and follow applicable policies and regulations. The position may require transporting children in government vehicles.

Applicants must be at least 18 at hire and must be a U.S. citizen or a legal U.S. resident for at least three years. Applicants must reside within the 100-mile commuting area of Eglin AFB, Florida. The position requires a high school diploma or equivalent, with level-specific experience, training, credentials, or education requirements. Employment is subject to background checks, drug testing, a favorable pre-employment physical, current immunizations, and required training, including Food Handlers certification.

Requirements

• High school graduation or equivalent; proof must be provided for verification.
• Target level: 18 months of work in a childcare or youth program and completion of DoD-approved competency-training courses; entry- and intermediate-level training must also be completed and documented through Service-issued documentation.
• Target level: One qualifying pathway requires 18 months of childcare or youth program experience plus a maintained credential directly related to the assigned age group, such as a Child Development Associate credential, Military School Age credential, or another nationally recognized youth development credential.
• Target level: One qualifying pathway requires 18 months of childcare or youth program experience plus an associate degree with 24 credit hours of directly related coursework for the assigned age group.
• Target level: A qualifying pathway includes a maintained credential directly related to the assigned age group, such as a Child Development Associate credential, Military School Age credential, Army Youth Practicum, or another nationally recognized youth development credential.
• Target level: A qualifying education pathway is a bachelor’s degree or at least 120 semester hours, including 24 credit hours in a relevant major such as early childhood education, child development, youth development, human development, elementary education, special education, secondary education, youth program administration, recreation, or physical education.
• Intermediate level: Six months of experience equivalent to CY-01 Entry Level working in a group program for children or youth, completion of three Air Force modules or equivalent, and completion of the AF Orientation Training Program.
• Entry level: No previous experience is required.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or legal U.S. resident for a minimum of three years.
• Must reside within the 100-mile commuting area of Eglin AFB, Florida.
• Must be at least 18 years old at the time of hire.
• Must pass required pre-employment checks, including a Child Care Tier 1 background investigation.
• Must consent to pre-employment and random drug testing as a Test Designated Position incumbent.
• Must complete a favorable pre-employment physical due to the position’s lifting requirement.
• Must obtain, maintain, and provide evidence of current immunizations, including annual influenza vaccination, and be free of communicable diseases.
• Must complete assigned training within the specified time after hire or assignment, including Food Handlers certification.
• Must communicate effectively in English, orally and in writing.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Must satisfy employment verification (E-Verify) requirements and use direct deposit.
• Applicants relying on foreign education must provide evidence that the credentials are equivalent to U.S. education.

Responsibilities

• Provide care, supervision, oversight, and accountability for children and youth, ensuring their safety and whereabouts are known.
• Prepare, plan, coordinate, lead, and conduct age-appropriate activities, as applicable to the assigned level.
• Supervise children and youth during indoor and outdoor activities, field trips, outings, and special events.
• Create an environment that welcomes participant interest and promotes positive interactions.
• Implement program options for children and youth with special requirements.
• Implement daily schedules and activity plans appropriate to participants’ age and developmental stage.
• Brief staff, management, and parents on activities.
• Conduct inventory of equipment and supplies and identify needed supplies, as applicable to the assigned level.
• Arrange and serve snacks and meals.
• Attend to children’s physical needs, as applicable.
• Carry out work in accordance with applicable policies and regulations.
• Transport children in government vehicles if required.

Benefits

• Department of the Air Force Child and Youth Programs employee child care discount; direct care staff receive a 100% discount for the first child enrolled in a full-time or regular part-time DAF Child Development Program and a 25% discount for additional children.
• A hiring bonus may be paid to applicants who onboard with a Service Commitment Agreement.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED