Therapeutic Child Development Teacher

St. Vincent De Paul Village•San Diego, CA

18h•$22 - $25•Onsite

About The Position

Therapeutic Child Development Teacher Social Services – Therapeutic Childcare At Father Joe’s Villages, early childhood support is more than care and supervision. It is an opportunity to help children feel safe, build confidence, and develop the skills they need to grow. Many children in our Therapeutic Childcare Program have experienced homelessness, housing instability, trauma, or other challenges that can affect learning, behavior, and development. Our Therapeutic Child Development Teachers play an important role in creating a structured, nurturing, and trauma-informed classroom where children can learn through play, consistent experiences, and positive relationships. Every day, this team supports children’s cognitive, physical, social-emotional, and behavioral development while partnering with families and multidisciplinary teams to support each child’s individual needs. What Success Looks Like This is a hands-on, child-centered role within a State-licensed Therapeutic Childcare Program. Successful teachers are patient, dependable, and comfortable supporting children with a wide range of developmental, behavioral, and social-emotional needs. They create calm, consistent classroom routines while responding with flexibility, compassion, and good judgment. Success in this role means creating a safe and engaging learning environment, building positive relationships with children and families, completing accurate observations and documentation, and working closely with team members to support each child’s growth. You'll help children build resilience, strengthen developmental skills, and feel supported during an important stage of learning and development.

Requirements

Associate’s degree in Child Development, Early Childhood Education, Human Development, or completion of at least twelve (12) semester units in Early Childhood Education/Child Development that meet California Community Care Licensing requirements.
Minimum two (2) years of progressively responsible experience working in a licensed early childhood education, preschool, or therapeutic childcare setting.
Current Pediatric First Aid and CPR certification, or ability to obtain within the required timeframe.
Valid California Driver’s License

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting children with developmental delays, behavioral challenges, trauma histories, homelessness, or other specialized needs preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide direct care, supervision, and developmental support to children enrolled in the Therapeutic Childcare Program.
Plan and implement developmentally appropriate curriculum and learning activities that support children’s growth.
Create a safe, structured, nurturing, and inclusive classroom environment that promotes learning, resilience, and positive behavior.
Support children’s daily routines, including meals, toileting, classroom activities, and other age-appropriate experiences.
Observe and document children’s developmental progress, strengths, and needs.
Complete developmental screenings, progress reports, service notes, attendance records, and other required documentation within established timelines.
Identify developmental, behavioral, or social-emotional needs and collaborate with supervisors and multidisciplinary team members to support appropriate interventions.
Build positive partnerships with parents and caregivers through regular communication about children’s progress, milestones, classroom activities, and needs.
Maintain accurate documentation in C-Star and other required systems while following program, licensing, confidentiality, and safety requirements.
Collaborate with clinicians, case managers, supervisors, volunteers, interns, and other team members to support coordinated services for children and families.