Child Care Cook - Northside

VCU Health•Richmond, VA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The Child Care Cook provides safe, nutritious, age-appropriate meals and snacks for children enrolled in the childcare center. This position manages kitchen operations to meet ServSafe, health department, and program standards, and supports healthy eating habits and food-related education for children and staff. This position also works collaboratively with children, families, and center staff to solicit, evaluate, and incorporate feedback on menus, meal service, and food-related activities.

Requirements

High School Diploma or equivalent
ServSafe Food Manager Certification required
Two years of professional cooking experience

Nice To Haves

Professional culinary training

Responsibilities

Plan Menus: Create seasonal menus that are nutritious, balanced, and appropriate for the center’s age groups.
Prepare and serve food: Prepare breakfast, lunch, and snacks on schedule; portion and serve meals following portion guidelines and food-safety procedures.
Follow program rules: Prepare meals that comply with federal, state, and local regulations; promote and adhere to Family Style Dining Service.
Food safety and sanitation: Maintain kitchen cleanliness, store foods safely, monitor temperatures, rotate stock, and follow health department and ServSafe standards and sanitation protocols.
Special diets and allergies: Ensure accommodations for children with allergies, medical diets, or cultural/religious needs; document substitutions and communicate with supervisors and families as required.
Inventory and purchasing: Create shopping lists, order or purchase supplies within budget, receive deliveries, and monitor inventory to reduce waste.
Recordkeeping: Maintain records for menus, temperature logs, and any program-related documentation.
Teamwork and communication: Coordinate with classroom staff and center leadership to schedule mealtime visits, assist with safe mealtime practices and Family Style Dining, and support nutrition education activities.
Gather and act on feedback: Regularly solicit input from children through age-appropriate activities (taste tests, preference charts) and from families and staff via surveys and conversations; review collected feedback monthly and adjust menus as appropriate.
Perform other duties as assigned and/or participate in special projects to support the mission of VCUHS and the Department.
Provide assistance to team members.
Accept alternate assignments, as required.