Cook Aide Substitute
About The Position
The Cook Aide Substitute works under the guidance of the Health/Nutrition Coordinator to serve food to children that is culturally and developmentally appropriate, meets their nutritional needs, and accommodates each child’s feeding requirements, including special dietary needs and disabilities. Family-style meals are encouraged in accordance with Head Start Program Performance Standards. The role receives and maintains catered food, serves breakfast, lunch, and snacks, and supports classroom nutrition and meal times when appropriate. It also prepares refreshments for center activities, distributes monthly nutrition activity items and instructions to classrooms, and ensures cycle menus and special-menu information are handled and updated as required. The Cook Aide Substitute monitors food and tableware deliveries, food storage temperatures, supplies, meal records, and required kitchen postings. The position follows food-service, cleaning, and sanitation practices, including appropriate food handling, storage, dishwashing, and maintenance of cleaning solutions. The role reviews USDA binders monthly, checks classroom meal accounts weekly, reports deficiencies, and may travel between centers as needed. Additional duties may be assigned by administration.
Requirements
- Enroll in and pass the Serving Safe Food in Child Care Centers coursework.
- Able to stand for extended periods.
- Able to lift 40 pounds.
- Flexible to travel between centers when needed.
Responsibilities
- Receive catered food daily, maintain its freshness until serving, and serve breakfast, lunch, and snacks.
- Assist in classrooms with nutrition and meal times when appropriate.
- Prepare refreshments for center-related activities that meet Head Start nutrition standards.
- Receive monthly nutritional activity items and distribute them to all classrooms with instructions.
- Ensure special menus posted in the kitchen and classrooms are concealed with a fruit picture in front of them.
- Ensure foods listed in the cycle menu are delivered and report issues immediately to the Nutrition Facilitator.
- Verify that tableware supplies delivered by catering are accounted for and delivered on schedule.
- Ensure appropriate cycle-menu foods are provided for children with special menus, including children with disabilities.
- Post and annually update mandated kitchen posters and flyers.
- Sign and verify delivery slips and retain them until collected by the Nutrition Facilitator.
- Ensure refrigerator and freezer temperatures are correct.
- Monitor supplies and distribute them to classrooms as needed.
- Prepare plates in advance for children who leave for outside therapy services.
- Store hot and cold foods appropriately and record temperatures when food is received and served.
- Mark and update cycle menus in classrooms and the kitchen on the first day of each week.
- Review each center’s USDA binders monthly to ensure accurate meal documentation for enrolled children.
- Follow appropriate food-service methods, including wearing gloves and hair nets and using appropriate utensils.
- Follow cleaning and sanitation practices, including proper storage and disposal of leftovers, keeping the kitchen clean and sterilized, washing, rinsing, and sterilizing dishes, bins, and utensils after use, and preparing and maintaining cleaning solutions.
- Check classroom meal accounts every Friday and report deficiencies to the Health/Nutrition Services Coordinator and Nutrition Facilitator.
- Complete training in USDA procedures for the Child Care Food Program and nutrition.
- Travel between centers when needed.
- Perform additional duties assigned by administration.
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What This Job Offers
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
