Early Head Start Teacher Advocate

NeighborImpact•Redmond, OR

4d•Onsite

About The Position

NeighborImpact’s Early Head Start Classroom provides comprehensive early childhood education and family support services to families with children ages 24 months to three years old. Our Early Head Start classroom aims to foster school readiness and building strong healthy relationships with adults and peers, ensuring children and families receive the necessary resources and supports during the critical early years. The right fit for this position will have a passion for teaching young children, building relationships with families and their children, excellent documentation skills, attention to detail, patience, be able to self-manage daily schedules as well as work in a team environment, be reliable and have great communication skills. Our program promotes the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development of toddlers through safe and developmentally enriching caregiving. The Early Head Start Teacher Advocate does this through developing strong nurturing relationships with toddlers and families, and encourages family engagement in their child's learning. This position will cultivate and implement a developmentally appropriate learning environment through lesson plans, working with parents/guardians on individualized curriculum and family engagement. The Early Head Start Teacher Advocate will be able to ensure a safe and secure environment at all times, instruct other classroom staff and volunteers throughout the day, provide family services, and plan and carry out home visits and conferences.

Requirements

Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education or related field (human development, child and family studies, social work, sociology/psychology, education) with comparable coursework to a CDA credential.
Trained or have equivalent coursework in early childhood development with a focus on infant and toddler development.
Diploma and transcripts are required to validate credentials and to verify ECE/related coursework.
120 training hours, or 11 college credit hours, in social work, human services, family services, counseling or a related field (required within 18 months of hire).
Must be able to obtain Teaching Strategies GOLD interrater reliability certificate within 90 days of hire and maintain throughout employment.
Must be available for a flexible work schedule to accommodate family needs, may include some evening or weekend hours.
Must be able to develop and maintain positive, cooperative, and respectful relationships with staff, family and community members.
Frequent kneeling, stooping, bending, and sitting on the floor to attend to children’s needs.
Must be able to lift 50 pounds.
Must be able to ride a school bus with children for assigned periods of time.
Must have an initial health examination and a periodic re-examination to assure that the employee does not, because of communicable diseases, pose a significant risk to the health or safety of others, that cannot be eliminated or reduced by reasonable accommodation.
Valid driver’s license (required prior to date of hire and throughout employment).
Proof of current auto insurance (required prior to date of hire and throughout employment).
Food Handler’s Card (required prior to date of hire and throughout employment).
Current enrollment in the OR Office of Childcare Central Background Registry (CBR) (required prior to date of hire and throughout employment).
Access to reliable transportation (required prior to date of hire and throughout employment).
Pediatric CPR/First Aid certification (required within 60 days of hire and must be kept current).

Nice To Haves

One year experience as a lead teacher in an infant/toddler or preschool classroom preferred.
Early Head Start/Head Start experience preferred.
One year experience in a social services field, or home visiting experience preferred.
Current or past Early Head Start/Head Start parent preferred.
Bilingual Spanish skills.

Responsibilities

Develop strong nurturing relationships with toddlers and families.
Encourage family engagement in their child's learning.
Cultivate and implement a developmentally appropriate learning environment through lesson plans.
Work with parents/guardians on individualized curriculum and family engagement.
Ensure a safe and secure environment at all times.
Instruct other classroom staff and volunteers throughout the day.
Provide family services.
Plan and carry out home visits and conferences.