Classroom Aide/Bus - Toppenish

Inspire Development Centers

5h•Onsite

About The Position

This position is responsible for assisting the bus driver in providing transportation services to children, including escorting them to and from the vehicle and maintaining constant supervision. The role also involves assisting teachers with child supervision, helping kitchen staff prepare food items, and assisting teachers with laundry duties. The aide will rotate as necessary to provide staff with breaks. Inspire Development Centers provides Early Childhood Education (ECE) and social services to over 4000 children in center-based and home-based settings across more than 27 Child Development Centers (CDC) in Washington State. The agency operates under various federal and state-funded programs like Regional Head Start (RHS), Migrant Seasonal Head Start (MSHS), Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP), and Early Head Start (EHS), requiring adherence to diverse regulations. A significant portion of the children served have Spanish as their first language.

Requirements

High School Diploma or General Educational Development (GED) certificate.
Enjoys working with young children with ability to exercise patience.
Able to communicate in English and/or Spanish, write/read/speak.
Flexible to work different schedules, may be split shift and/or with various bus routes depending on availability of shifts.
Knowledge and understanding of child development.
Experience in bus and safety risk management.
Experience in policy and procedure processes.
Experience in working in group setting.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills.
Understanding of the interrelationships between services and systems.
Ability to learn new tasks quickly and efficiently.
Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and meet deadlines.
Ability to gather data for reports.
Strong customer service focus.
Ability to work with culturally diverse population.
Knowledgeable of a personal computer, including Microsoft Office.
Accurate data documentation and recordkeeping skills.
Must be at least 18 years of age.
Must pass initial and periodic criminal and background check.
Must pass initial and periodic Department of Early Learning (DEL) background check.
Must pass initial and periodic employee health clearance (present it within forty-five (45) days of employment).
Current Food Handler card (obtain the training within thirty (30) days of employment).
Current First Aid / CPR cards (obtain the training within thirty (30) days of employment).
Subject to initial and periodic TB screen.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV / AIDS) training (obtain the training within thirty (30) days of employment).
Blood Borne Pathogen training (obtain the training within thirty (30) days of employment).
Subject to random drug screen.
Must sign a Confidentiality Agreement.
Must complete and sign a Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement on an annual basis.

Nice To Haves

English/Spanish bi-lingual fluency.
Willing to develop instructional skills in the field of child development.

Responsibilities

Accompany driver on assigned routes to pick up and take home all children assigned to that route.
Conduct daily health checks on the children prior to boarding bus to comply with health policies of center.
Conduct a pre-trip inspection to ensure all children are buckled with safety restraints and infants and toddlers are secured properly in car seats before vehicle proceeds.
Escort and assist children on boarding and departing bus with special attention to children with disabilities needing extra assistance and care.
Ensure that all children are buckled with safety restraints and infants and toddlers are secured properly in care seats before vehicle proceeds.
Remain seated with seat belt fastened when vehicle is in motion, whenever possible.
Conduct a post-trip inspection for children and other items left on the bus at the conclusion of the trip.
Assist parents in completing appropriate forms when medication is to be administered to children at the center.
Ensure that medication and breast milk is transported in a secure manner and delivered to an authorized individual.
Serve as liaison between parents and staff disseminating and requesting information as instructed by staff/parents.
Immediately report incidents, accidents or unusual situations (e.g., child abuse reports) that could or did place a child at risk of injury and be willing and able to describe such incidents in writing.
Monitor the attendance/presence of children on the bus in the AM and PM routes and verify list of children at start and end of route.
In conjunction with driver, maintain the chain of custody of children assigned to the bus, ensuring that children are released only to authorized individuals.
In coordination with the driver, practice monthly emergency bus evacuations and safety drills and be knowledgeable about emergency equipment on the bus.
Assist driver in maintaining buses in clean and sanitary condition.
In case bus driver is incapacitated by medical emergency, monitor will stop and secure the vehicle.
Assist educational staff with visual supervision of children and interaction while outdoors.
Wash, dry, and distribute laundry to classrooms and kitchen.
Clean classrooms after children’s meals and prep for naptime with placement of cots.
Provide staff with breaks as scheduled.
Assist kitchen staff prepare, deliver, and retrieve food carts with items needed for meals / snacks / fieldtrips.
Show interest in furthering professional growth by attending staff meetings, workshops, trainings, and seminars.
Maintain confidentiality of program and client related information at all times.
Perform all other duties as assigned.