Position: Director of Childcare and Training
Department: Childcare
Division: Student Support and Engagement
Supervisor: Chief of Student Support and Engagement
FLSA Status: Exempt
Regular Hours: Monday and Wednesday: 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Purpose of position
The Director of Childcare and Training is responsible for planning, monitoring, and managing services delivered to the Childcare Department. The individual in this role holds decision-making authority and must exercise independent judgment, including matters related to budget, policy implementation, procedures, and staff supervision. The individual in this role is responsible for performance management, hiring employees, and assuring compliance with the codes of all contracting agencies servicing the department.
The director operates the program in conformance with institutional and federal regulations while managing departmental facilitation, planning, and coordination. The individual in this role can identify external, programmatic, and philanthropic resources and will cultivate partnerships with organizations to bring in relevant services and resources to the department. Further, the individual in this role can continuously acquire knowledge of current science, research, and evidence-based practices to support and direct the professional development of team members and provide high-quality, school-based instruction and training to TNS students interested in the field of early childhood education.
The Director of Childcare and Training has education and experience working with children from the Sensorimotor Stage (birth to about 2 years) up to and including the Concrete Operational Stage (ages 7 through 11).
Qualifications
- BA in Early Childhood/Childhood Education (Required); MA in Early Childhood Education/Child Development or a closely related field (Preferred)
- Three years of supervisor experience in a childcare setting, including planning and facilitating professional development opportunities
- Five years of experience working in a licensed early education center or classroom
- Experience with maintaining compliance for health, safety, and early childhood licensing
- Current first aid and CPR certification
- Bilingual (English-Spanish / Spanish-English) highly preferred.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Ability to speak, read, and write in English
- Ability to lift up to 35lbs
- Demonstrate strong leadership, management, written, and communication skills
- Critical thinking: High attention to detail and strong problem-solving
- Seek out, work closely, and collaborate with other department leaders and higher-level school personnel around matters impacting childcare, development, and training
- Maintain a standard of ethical conduct regarding confidentiality, dual relationships, and professional performance
- Demonstrate the ability to seek feedback to assist with continuous self-development actively; take responsibility for setting up opportunities for own learning; accurately identify own development needs
- Experience working with parents and conducting training for a variety of audiences
- Contextualize and assess community resources specific to early childhood development and learning
- Use thorough analysis and thoughtful planning to achieve program outcomes
- Adhere to, implement, and perform within the federal legislation that mandates child protective services and reporting of suspected child abuse and/or neglect
- Understand and maintain the continuing education requirements per the Council for Professional Recognition and National Association for the Education of Young Children competency standards
- Knowledge of state and local rules and regulations that govern childcare, NAEYC accreditation standards, Early Childhood Development standards
- Adhere to, implement, and perform within standards set forth by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Responsibilities
Administration
- Develop and implement program operating policies and activities, including budget projections, ensuring that the program operates within budgetary parameters and investigate ways to sustain financial support for various initiatives
- Ensure the maintenance of documentation on children enrolled to include development milestones, attendance, immunizations, and general health
- Manage QuickBase; childcare referrals, childcare applications, attendance, and diaper bank applications.
- Seek out and cultivate community partnerships and manage contracts; Manage the diaper bank partnership
- Manage the diaper bank partnership; diaper pick-ups, inventory, ordering diapers, and monthly reports
- Analyze problems, needs, and/or sustainability concerns and make recommendations to resolve or take corrective action
- Guide and assist staff with preparing for and presenting programs and activities; assist with duties as necessary
- Develop and evaluate department goals, objectives, and curriculum that is thoughtfully planned, challenging, engaging, developmentally responsible, comprehensive, and culturally and linguistically responsive
- Provide quarterly reports to the Chief of Student Support and Engagement
- Conduct safety inspections of the facility and oversee correction(s) to safety issues
- Maintain accurate, complete, and timely institutional records and documents
- Maintain accurate, compliant, and complete emergency forms, enrollment forms, department
- policies and procedures, curriculum plans, individual child development profiles, and other records as needed
- Provide leadership for the functioning and monitoring of nutrition and food service
- Actively participate (and lead when appropriate) in meetings, conferences, in-service training, and parent engagement activities
- Seek out various professional opportunities to improve and master skills
Staff Experience
- Plan, develop, schedule and/or assign professional development for direct reports
- Plan, develop, and implement a thorough onboarding experience for new staff and temporary staff
- Ensure department staff members are adhering to federal, state, and local regulations
- Facilitate agenda-driven department meetings at least once a month
- Provide individual supervision at least once a month and promote individual team member development up to and including conducting performance reviews
Student and Family Experience
- Develop and promote a program that is inclusive of limited English proficient children, children with disabilities, and children who are classified as unstably housed.
- Create and implement a departmental culture that centers parent/child relationships, families as lifelong educators, families as learners, family connection to peers and community, family well-being, and families as advocates and leaders
- Assess and provide for children’s physical needs, including holding, rocking, cleaning, diaper changing, toilet assistance, clothing, feeding, and nap and rest supervision; assist children with the development of self-help skills.
- Advocate for parents in accessing needed resources and support services
- Uphold a division culture that centers on strengths-based service delivery, the student as the agent of their personal, academic, and career goals, and acknowledgment of the identities—as specified by the student—that intersect with their ability to access their education
- Foster a sense of community by encouraging interaction, empathy, connectedness, responsibility, and independence
Classroom
- Assist the teachers in the classroom with children when needed. This includes but is not limited to changing diapers, feeding, activities, lesson planning, etc.
- Assist teachers and provide guidance with child evaluations and individual child developmental plans, conduct parent/teacher conferences, and make appropriate referrals when necessary.
- Ensure the classrooms are safe and well-stocked; check safety equipment is available and working; remove hazards; and ensure the classrooms are always clean and orderly.
Student and Family Experience
- Develop and promote a program that is inclusive of limited English proficient children, children with disabilities, and children who are classified as unstably housed.
- Create and implement a departmental culture that centers parent/child relationships, families as lifelong educators, families as learners, family connection to peers and community, family well-being, and families as advocates and leaders
- Assess and provide for children’s physical needs, including holding, rocking, cleaning, diaper changing, toilet assistance, clothing, feeding, and nap and rest supervision; assist children with the development of self-help skills.
- Advocate for parents in accessing needed resources and support services
- Uphold a division culture that centers on strengths-based service delivery, the student as the agent of their personal, academic, and career goals, and acknowledgment of the identities—as specified by the student—that intersect with their ability to access their education
- Foster a sense of community by encouraging interaction, empathy, connectedness, responsibility, and independence
Classroom
- Assist the teachers in the classroom with children when needed. This includes but is not limited to changing diapers, feeding, activities, lesson planning, etc.
- Assist teachers and provide guidance with child evaluations and individual child developmental plans, conduct parent/teacher conferences, and make appropriate referrals when necessary.
- Ensure the classrooms are safe and well-stocked; check safety equipment is available and working; remove hazards; and ensure the classrooms are always clean and orderly.
Strategic Priorities for the Childcare and Development Program
- Professional Development Faculty and Staff: The department prioritizes professional development and views it as critical to the growth of the school. As part of this department, every team member will receive continuous training on every stage of development.
- Parent Education: The department goes beyond what is taught to the children in the classroom; it extends, by necessity, to parents with whom we are partnered to support the children’s learning at school and at home. TNS seeks to continue building parent education as a critical program component.
- Expanded Training Program: The Childcare and Development program will offer direct, targeted training opportunities to current students (and alumni) interested in early childhood education and development careers.
General responsibilities of all staff members
As a member of The Next Step staff, this position involves the following:
● Fully embrace and promote The Next Step’s mission, vision, and core values of Community, Collaboration, Courage, Trust, & Equity, and Excellence.
● Develop and maintain positive and supportive relationships with all students.
● Consistently implement school-wide expectations in classrooms and common areas.
● Participate actively in regular meetings, including staff meetings, step meetings, and the Student Support Team.
● Participate actively in special events, including field trips, community days, college tours, graduations, etc.
● Participate actively in school responsibilities such as hallway and lunch supervision.
● Work cooperatively with colleagues to develop and implement effective and relevant policies.
● Adhere to school policies as described in the personnel manual and/or staff handbook.
● Reflect upon performance, set goals for improvement, and take advantage of training and opportunities to learn and implement effective strategies.
● Maintain an organized, clean, and inviting work area.
● Complete other duties as assigned
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: From $72,000.00 per year
Schedule:
Work setting:
Ability to Relocate:
- Washington, DC 20009: Relocate before starting work (Required)
Work Location: In person