Child Development Specialist I

Sacramento County (CA) • Sacramento, CA

61d

About The Position

This is a continuous filing exam. Next filing cut-offs are at 5:00 pm on: 9/25/2025, 10/14/2025, 11/10/2025, 12/8/2025 (Final) The Child Development Specialist I supervise children in a child development center or play care program; and/or performs services in the care and instruction of children in a child development center or play care program and ensures their well-being in accordance with State regulations. Under direct supervision, incumbents perform within a well-defined framework of policies and procedures. Incumbents may assist in specific childcare and developmental activities and other higher level duties. As education and experience are gained, greater independence of action is exercised and less detailed supervision is received. The Child Development Specialist Unit within Sacramento County Child Protective Services is responsible for the direct supervision of dependent youth within two locations. The Sacramento Welcome Home and its various locations are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Granite Regional Park Youth Room daily operations is from 8:00a.m to 5:00p.m. The current vacancies are both permanent full-time positions and temporary on-call positions with flexibly scheduled hours and days. This eligible list will be used to fill other vacancies as they become available.

Requirements

• Knowledge of Childhood development theories and practices
• Knowledge of Program policies, procedures, and guidelines related to assigned operations and activities
• Knowledge of Principles of care and supervision of young children
• Ability to Understand and carry out instructions in both oral and written form
• Ability to Understand, speak, read, and write English at a level sufficient for successful job performance
• Ability to Report information and data completely and accurately
• Ability to Interact effectively and positively with diverse and multi-cultural individuals including young children
• Twelve post-secondary semester or equivalent quarter units of early childhood education or child development, completed with passing grades at a college or university, and one year of paid or volunteer experience with young children in a children's center or in a comparable group learning environment.
• OR Six post-secondary semester or equivalent quarter units of early childhood education or child development, completed with passing grades at a college or university.
• Note: Completion of six additional post-secondary semester or equivalent quarter units of early childhood education or child development within one year of hire date, completed with passing grades at a college or university.
• Note: Failure to complete the additional units within one year of hire date may be cause for release from probation in accordance with Civil Service Commission Rules.
• AND One year of paid or volunteer experience with young children in a children's center or in a comparable group learning environment.
• Education Requirement: Completed units shall include courses that cover the general areas of child growth and development, or human growth and development; child, family and community, or child and family; and program/curriculum.
• Background/Criminal History: Candidates will be fingerprinted for purposes of search of local, state, and national fingerprint files to disclose any criminal record.
• Driver's License: A valid California Driver's License, Class C is required as staff transports children on field trips. County vehicles are used for field trips. Failure to maintain the appropriate valid California Driver's License required constitutes cause for termination from the class in accordance with Civil Service Rule 11.4
• Minimum Age Requirement: Candidates must be 18 years of age.
• Physical Characteristics: With or without the use of aids; sufficient vision to read printed material; sufficient hearing to hear normal and telephone conversation; ability to speak in an understandable voice with sufficient volume to be heard in normal conversation; sufficient manual dexterity to write, use telephone or business machines; sufficient physical strength and mobility to drive a car, walk and run with students, and lift, restrain, and control children weighing up to 45 pounds.

Responsibilities

• Supervise children in a child development center or play care program
• Perform services in the care and instruction of children in a child development center or play care program
• Ensure children's well-being in accordance with State regulations
• Assist in specific childcare and developmental activities

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Industry: Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees