Child and Youth Program Assistant

Commander, Navy Installations Command•Patuxent River, MD

About The Position

Child and Youth Program Assistants work directly with children and youth to keep them engaged, cared for, and safe while participating in the Child and Youth Program (CYP). They support participants’ social development, healthy choices, self-help skills, school readiness, and exploration of their environment. Duties are organized across curriculum, indoor and outdoor environments, interactions and relationships, supervision, parent and employee communication, assessment, compliance, and additional responsibilities. The assistant develops or contributes to schedules and activity plans, adapts plans to observed participant needs, and implements activities and events that support physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development. The role includes accommodating special instructions and requirements, caring for children with special needs as directed, facilitating planned and spontaneous activities, modeling developmentally appropriate practice and safety, fitness, health, and nutrition, and helping arrange or serve meals and snacks. The assistant prepares and maintains activity areas and materials, inventories equipment, and secures supplies and facilities. They foster positive interactions, use approved child guidance and youth development techniques, and supervise participants during indoor and outdoor activities, field trips, outings, and events. They account for participants’ whereabouts and safety, release them only to authorized persons, observe and report signs of illness, abuse, or neglect, and serve as a mandatory reporter as prescribed by local policy. The position involves communicating professionally with parents, employees, and installation command personnel; providing parents with feedback; participating in conferences; observing and documenting developmental progress or concerns; and participating in program evaluations. The assistant also helps maintain DoD certification and national accreditation, supports compliance with applicable laws and policies, reports health, fire, and safety concerns, and collects and reports participation data. Candidates must meet the education and experience requirements for the applicable level. The position requires completion of applicable training and credentials, background checks, drug testing, and a pre-employment physical and immunization requirements. A one-year probationary period may be required.

Requirements

Must be at least 18 years of age.
Must communicate effectively in English, orally and in writing, and follow verbal and written instructions.
Must complete required training within specified timeframes and maintain certifications or credentials required by Federal, State, or national accreditation institutions used by DoD CYP.
Must pass applicable records and background checks, including required child-care checks and fingerprint checks.
Must undergo pre-employment and random drug testing and consent to testing; a positive result or failure to submit is grounds for removal.
Must pass a pre-employment physical, provide evidence of immunization, be free of communicable diseases, and obtain appropriate immunizations.
Must be a U.S. citizen or have three years of lawful U.S. residency.
Must provide proof of education; a high school diploma or equivalent is required for all listed levels.
Must promote and foster effective working relationships with children, youth, and coworkers and work cooperatively as a team member.
Intermediate level: Six months of experience working with children or youth in a child and youth setting, knowledge of basic child and youth development, ability to apply developmentally appropriate practices, interpret a curriculum or activity plan, plan and organize, and completion of Navy Entry Level training or an accepted Army, Air Force, or Marine equivalent.
Target level: One year of experience working with children or youth in a child and youth setting, knowledge and skill in applying child and youth development principles and services, and ability to provide basic program information and explain CYP processes and procedures.
Target level: Must have completed DoD standardized training courses, hold a valid CDA or MSA credential, or have at least a two-year degree in a listed or related education or youth-development field.
Must complete applicable background checks for child-care positions, including Tier 1 with Child Care, State Criminal History Repository, and Installation Records Check screening.
Participation in Direct Deposit/Electronic Fund Transfer is required within the first 30 days of employment.
Employment eligibility is confirmed through E-Verify.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience working with children and/or youth is preferred for the entry level.

Responsibilities

Develops schedules and activity plans, and may review or provide input on plans developed by other assistants.
Ensures plans and activities reflect the observed needs of individual children and youth.
Implements activities and special events that meet participants’ physical, social, emotional, and cognitive needs.
Incorporates parent-provided instructions, including dietary and physical needs, and prepares program options for participants with special requirements.
Cares for children and youth with special needs as directed by the supervisor.
Demonstrates, instructs, leads, and facilitates planned and spontaneous activities.
Models developmentally appropriate practices and classroom or activity-area management techniques.
Promotes and models safety, fitness, health, and nutrition practices; helps arrange or serve appropriate snacks or meals where applicable.
Prepares, arranges, and maintains indoor and outdoor activity areas and materials; sets up displays and bulletin boards.
Inventories equipment and recommends replenishment of damaged, missing, or depleted supplies; secures supplies, equipment, and facilities.
Creates an environment that sustains participant interest and promotes positive interactions with children, youth, and adults.
Uses approved child guidance and youth development techniques when interacting with participants.
Provides care, supervision, oversight, and accountability in accordance with applicable DoD, NAF Component, and installation policies and standards.
Maintains control of and accounts for participants’ whereabouts and safety during daily activities, field trips, outings, and special events.
Ensures participants depart with an authorized person in accordance with written parental instructions.
Observes for signs of illness, abuse, or neglect and reports concerns as directed; acts as a mandatory reporter as prescribed by local policy.
Communicates professionally with employees, parents, and local installation command personnel; provides parents with daily verbal or written feedback and participates in conferences.
Observes participants and documents developmental progress or concerns, and uses the information in planning.
Participates in program evaluations using designated rating scales, risk assessment tools, inspection materials, and accreditation tools.
Assists with achieving and maintaining DoD certification and national accreditation or equivalent.
Ensures compliance with applicable laws, policies, and regulations and notifies the supervisor of health, fire, or safety concerns.
Collects, maintains, and reports program participation data.
Performs other related duties as assigned.