Relief Nursery Teacher

Lutheran Community Services Northwest•Klamath Falls, OR

9d•Hybrid

About The Position

Lutheran Community Services NW is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving communities throughout Washington, Oregon, and Idaho with a wide range of services for individuals of all ages and backgrounds. All LCSNW team members will contribute to our mission of partnering with individuals, families and communities for health, justice and hope. This position manages a caseload of 5-8 families along with their children (ages 2-4 years), co-plans and implements developmentally appropriate and therapeutic curriculum for a classroom of 8-11 children, monitors each child’s development and the family’s functioning, conducts at least monthly home visits for each family, and maintains accurate files on each child. The position allocates approximately 65% of time to direct service, 30% to documentation, and 5% to other duties. Classrooms are managed by two individuals; they are responsible for all aspects of the classroom.

Requirements

Excellent communication skills, written, verbal, and non-verbal
Ability to work effectively with data, work independently, and work closely as a team member
Ability to adapt, work effectively under pressure, and work with adults who have a variety of stresses/challenges (e.g., cognitive delays, chemical dependency, mental illness)
Comprehensive knowledge of indicators and effects of maltreatment, abuse and neglect on children, nutrition, health, safety, special needs, generational poverty and the distinct needs of low-income families, and community/county resources
Knowledge of early childhood development (birth to six years), curriculum development and implementation, positive discipline, and early childhood learning strategies
Good stress management, self-care, active listening, analytical, and conflict resolution skills
Ability to relate to diverse at-risk children and families with sensitivity and respect, identify and record significant individual and group behaviors and to conduct objective assessments and evaluation, and to learn and apply Therapeutic Principles
Ability to work with parents and their children in a warm, calming, respectful, encouraging and patient manner
Ability to educate and oversee groups of parents and children, be flexible in schedule of work hours and days (to best meet needs of families), respond effectively to emergent situations, and willingness to seek and accept supervision and implement recommendations in a timely manner
Must be able to work in a multicultural setting
Two years of experience in an early childhood program working with children and families, including home visitation duties is required.
A current clearance from the Central Background Registry.
Current First Aid Certification, CPR card, Food Handler’s Card, Annual Mandatory Reporter/Child Abuse, and Neglect training.
Must have a current driver’s license, car insurance, and access to a vehicle.
Meets LCSNW criminal background clearance requirements and other job-relevant clearances as required by the State or program, must be enrolled in the Central Background Registry (CBR), Oregon Dept of Early Learning and Care Registry

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s Degree or Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education, Education, Special Education, Psychology, Social Work, or another related field is preferred.

Responsibilities

Interact with children while showing respect and dignity
Apply principles of diversity, equity, racial justice for all families.
Apply principles of the least restrictive environment for children with disabilities
Plan, implement, and post developmentally and therapeutically appropriate classroom curriculum for 8-11 children ages 2-4 years
Set up and clean up classroom (including stocking towels, baby wipes, and plastic bags; making bleach bottles daily to spray diaper changing area and all objects at day end; washing all used blankets and towels; sanitizing objects put in the children’s mouth, vacuum carpets)
Promote and encourage family growth and development via home visit curriculum, referrals to necessary community resources, and advocacy for the family’s needs and interests
Provide at least monthly home visits to each family for approximately one hour that focus on parent-child interaction, child development, positive discipline, referrals to other services, and any other topic of importance to the family’s functioning
Maintain accurate and complete data on all children and their families in individual child files, (including required “My Day at AFP” forms for all children under 3 years of age; attendance records, Client Contact Logs, Child Status Summaries, weekly child observations, home visit records, family and child assessments, risk assessment, child developmental screenings, child and family goals, etc…)
Insure that proper and current documentation is complete on each family (including release of information, data on allergies and medical conditions, release and emergency contact information, and other pertinent data)
Establish and maintain positive communication with parents, provide information about their child’s progress and relevant guidance/discipline techniques, reinforce parent education group topics, and model appropriate interactions with others
Report any suspected instances of abuse or neglect to the supervisor, make reports to Child Welfare Program, and to other supervisors and team members who are also working with that family
Represent A Family Gathering Place at county/community meetings to coordinate services for families (e.g., Child Welfare Program meetings, special education/IFSP meetings, etc…)
Maintain open, positive communication and promote individual/group problem solving skills with children, families, co-workers and the community
Model and encourage direct, professional communication among staff members and facilitate the development of a positive staff support network
Demonstrate awareness and sensitivity in the delivery of client services as it relates to the cultural and socioeconomic characteristics of the populations served

Benefits

A 37.5 per hour work week to ensure work/life balance
Medical, dental, vision, and prescription benefits to keep you and your loved ones healthy
Employer-paid short- and long-term disability insurance
Life insurance coverage at no cost to you
Up to 2 weeks of vacation in your first year (based on hours worked)
Up to 2 weeks of sick leave (based on hours worked)
12 paid agency recognized holidays
2 floating holidays to use your way
403(b) retirement plan with employer matching (eligibility applies)
Access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for you and your family
Potential eligibility for Student Loan Forgiveness through our 501(c)(3) nonprofit status