Child Care Assistant

Advocate Health and Hospitals Corporation•Libertyville, IL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

This is a part-time PRN position for the Intergenerational Day Care - Child Care department. The role requires availability at least 4 hours a month, year-round, with flexible hours depending on the Center's needs. The assistant will work in all classrooms with children aged 6 weeks to 6 years.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalency
Ability to communicate verbally and non-verbally with participants
Competent interpersonal skills
Basic computer skills
Emotional maturity when working with children

Nice To Haves

Ability to work with children 6 weeks through 10 years of age.
Ability to communicate with children at an age appropriate level.
Ability to handle multiple tasks and complete work within short timeframes.
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with established time constraints.
Ability to physically respond quickly to unsafe conditions which may put children at risk.
Flexibility, understanding and patience.
Skills to help children meet their developmental and emotional needs.

Responsibilities

Demonstrate positive interactions with children, families, and associates through verbal and non-verbal communication, adhering to program guidelines and Advocate's Behaviors of Excellence.
Engage with children at their eye level, listening, responding, and speaking in positive, respectful tones to model appropriate behavior.
Provide nurturing care and comfort to children in a safe, responsive environment, using verbal or physical comforting and words of encouragement.
Follow Day Center Child Care discipline guidelines and use positive guidance techniques to help children understand consequences.
Discuss child's behavior and development with the classroom team and/or Supervisor, maintaining compliance with DCFS regulations.
Implement the primary caregiving care plan for assigned children to maintain consistent, positive relationships with both child and family.
Interact with children at all times, engaging them in activities and learning experiences that support their growth and development.
Assist classroom staff with developing and implementing positive behavior patterns of children.
Give input for daily activities and learning experiences, and assist in preparing and implementing curriculum activities aligned with Illinois Early Learning Standards/Guidelines and NAEYC guidelines.
Meet the needs of children in the group to support the development of psychologically and physically healthy individuals by responding to their physical, psychological, and emotional needs in a timely and appropriate fashion.
Provide input and assistance to teachers in completing progress reports, developmental checklists, parent/teacher conference forms, daily notes, and documentation for children's portfolios based on observations of children.
Actively participate and attend classroom meetings and all other assigned meetings, continuing to develop understanding of program philosophy and goals.
Learn to make observations and take notes of children’s behaviors and development by visually observing children in a group setting and objectively noting/recording their behavior.
Seek ongoing training and professional development by attending early childhood trainings, reading professional journals, and/or continuing education in the early childhood field, earning required inservice hours annually.
Assist in completing the Environmental Rating Scale for the assigned classroom.
Complete DCFS and Advocate's required on-line trainings and other trainings for ExcelRate ECE Credential, working with Gateways to earn and/or maintain ECE Credential.
Update Professional Development Record and provide documentation of hours earned.
Communicate one’s own and parent ideas, concerns, and needs with co-workers, sharing information that may affect the development of the children and family.
Share in responsibilities of carrying out daily routines, procedures, schedule, and Center and classroom goals, working as part of a team to create and maintain an optimum environment.
Be aware of classroom information such as orientations, transitions, and schedule changes.
Follow Day Center's written policies and procedures.
Understand and support Center and classroom goals.
Demonstrate flexibility with the teaching team, daily schedule, routines, and classroom assignments.
Resolve conflicts with co-workers in a professional manner and address issues/concerns with the team as they arise.
Model appropriate behavior and demonstrate a positive attitude at all times, providing suggestions/solutions as issues arise.
Be aware of the number of children in the assigned group at all times.
Physically position self within the classroom to monitor for safety hazards and intervene when necessary.
Assist in implementing child safety practices, including head counts, ratio sheets, name-to-face checks, and supervision.
Interact and engage with children to role model and encourage positive social interactions.
Avoid distractions that interfere with supervision of children, refraining from personal conversations, cell phone, and computer usage while children are awake.
Assist in completing written forms of communication such as 'Today We Did' board, daily notes, and progress reports.
Assist in creating a welcoming and open atmosphere that promotes daily communication with staff and families and integrates parents as part of the teaching team.
Greet parents and communicate child’s daily accomplishments and interests, keeping parents informed of their child’s growth and development.
Direct parent concerns/issues to supervisor and/or classroom teaching team.
Share in the responsibility of organizing, cleaning, storing, and removing damaged/unsafe materials or equipment.
Assist in maintaining an organized, clutter-free environment in the classroom and throughout the Day Center.
Assist in completing classroom health and safety checklists, bottle charts, and ratio sheets.
Demonstrate appropriate hand hygiene by following policy/procedure and ensuring all staff, families, and children do the same.
Adhere to, follow, and practice Advocate's Be Safe Behaviors and Tools at all times.