Lead Primary Caregiver

Sonoma Community Action Network•Santa Rosa, CA

2d•$25 - $26•Onsite

About The Position

Under the direction of the Area Supervisor, the Lead Primary Caregiver administers Early Head Start center operations, coordinates activities for infants and toddlers as guided by Head Start Performance Standards, adheres to procedures and policies, and follows California State Community Care Licensing regulations. This position is responsible for the daily operations and oversight of the assigned center. This position will carry out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the Agency’s policies and applicable federal and state laws.

Requirements

Working knowledge of the principles and practices of child development and adult learning styles
Understanding of the principles of bilingual and multicultural education
Basic personal computer skills with word processing and email experience
Establish and maintain a healthy learning environment
Support children’s social and emotional development
Basic oral and written communication skills
Knowledge of and sensitivity to culturally diverse groups and persons from low-income families.
Basic skills in reading, analyzing, and interpreting procedures and governmental regulations.
Basic ability to write reports and correspondence. Basic ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of parents, children, and staff.
Basic ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
Basic ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
BA in Early Childhood Education/Child Development or related field; OR AA with 24 ECE/CD units (incl. core units) and the willingness to complete a BA and be enrolled within 6 months of the start of employment
3 units of Adult Supervision
Teacher Permit within 6 months of hire
3 units or 16 hours of Health and Safety Training
A minimum of 12 months of teaching experience with 6 months of supervision experience
Six months of teaching experience in a preschool/infant-toddler classroom
High School diploma or GED or equivalent
Before beginning work, one must be able to pass the Community Care Licensing criminal record clearance, must be up to date on immunizations, and have a current (within one year) TB clearance and Health Screening Report.
Current Pediatric First Aid, CPR, and Health and Safety Course.
Highly dependable, takes initiative, has good judgment, and can function with minimal supervision.
A sincere interest in the development of all children and in building partnerships with families.
Work effectively in a team environment and actively participate in joint problem solving; willingly cooperates with co-workers

Nice To Haves

Bilingual, Spanish/English preferred.
Bilingual in Spanish & English preferred. If the bilingual assessment is passed, you would qualify for additional bilingual pay.

Responsibilities

Coordinate and monitor the work of center staff, volunteers, and parents
Supervise and support all children in the classroom
Supervise: Primary Caregiver, Classroom Assistant, and any other assigned staff
Adhere to the Child Assessment/Observation System & Family Partnership System Timeline
Ensure and participate in a minimum of 2 parent home visits and two conferences per child. The first home visit is done in partnership with the Family Outreach Worker
Solve practical problems and deal with a variety of situations with good judgment
Assess children, develop individualized routines, and develop developmentally appropriate plans and curriculum
Have meaningful, respectful conversations with children throughout each day
Plan and facilitate daily learning activities for children based on children’s interests in alignment with the Creative Curriculum to support School Readiness in all learning domains
Reinforce the role of the parent as primary caregiver and educator of the child
Work in partnership with service area managers and center staff to better assess the needs of the children and families to ensure quality services to children and families
Support and serve as a resource to the families and work with them in assessing their strengths, interests, and needs, and make referrals as appropriate
Build a close, personal relationship with each child, while creating a warm, accepting, and developmentally appropriate environment which encourages the cognitive, physical, emotional, and social development of the infant/toddler and family
Maintain warm, friendly, and professional working relationships with children, parents, and coworkers
Plan, assign, and direct work which includes: yearly performance appraisals, monthly one-on-one meetings, and helping to address complaints and resolve problems
Approve staff time cards and time off requests
Communicate with the supervisor and other classroom staff to develop a plan for coverage when other staff are not present
Provide on-the-job training and support, assessing the skill level of the employee and developing a plan for individual growth and professional development
Ensure and share in the daily cleaning and sanitization procedures of the classroom, classroom equipment, and outside play yard; maintain health and safety standards for children, classroom volunteers, and staff; Promote good health and nutrition and provide an environment that contributes to the prevention of illness
Maintain classroom files on children and ensure confidentiality of client records and information
Coordinate and cooperate with consultants and specialists on items relevant to the center and children, ensuring maximum use of services and resources
May include collaboration/coordination of program services with other community entities: i.e., early intervention, those serving children with diagnosed disabilities, State Child Care programs
Actively participate in the distance learning model of instruction when required
Participate in staff meetings, consultant meetings, trainings, and appropriate special events, as scheduled
Participate in the team-building process within the program by using established communication channels constructively and productively, which enhances the team effort while maintaining confidentiality
The health, safety, and supervision of all children in the program are of the utmost importance. Therefore, every employee is responsible for the care and supervision of children while they are present at the center
Understands and implements Head Start Procedures and Head Start Performance Standards
Other relevant duties, as assigned

Benefits

Medical insurance through Kaiser or Sutter is 80-95% paid by the employer for employee premiums, plus 50% paid by the employer for dependent coverage
Elective dental, vision insurance, FSA, and Accident insurance
Employer-paid $10k of life insurance with expandable options
Employer-paid Long-term Disability Insurance
401(K) plan with a 2% contribution and an additional 1% matched contribution after one year of service
Employee assistance program, CalPerks
3 weeks vacation (paid during Spring and Winter school breaks) increases at 6 years of service
96 hours of sick time per year (4 hours accrued per pay period) based on full-time work
1 floating personal day
16 paid holidays