Infant/toddler Teacher

**_“Helping our community’s most vulnerable with solutions that permanently improve lives”_**

**Catholic Charities Community Services is currently seeking a passionate individual who has an engaging classroom presence to work in our Head Start program providing support to our staff and children.**

**JOB SUMMARY**: Under the direction of the Teacher Licensing Supervisor or designee, the Early Head Start (EHS) Teacher is responsible for developing, maintaining and ensuring an engaging and secure learning environment that promotes the growth and development of infants and toddlers through a variety of experiences and interactions which form a foundation for Head Start readiness and later school success. Early Head Start Teachers are required to demonstrate competencies needed to provide effective and nurturing teacher-child interactions, plan and execute high quality learning experiences for infants and toddlers that ensure effective curriculum implementation, and promote children’s progress across the standards described in the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework. Assignment is year-round (12 months) with scheduled breaks identified at the beginning of each program year as dictated by program requirements and site calendar.

**ESSENTIAL DUTIES**:
Child Development, Health and Safety

1. Delivers developmentally appropriate site based services to infants and toddlers during operational hours.

2. Plans and implements a designed bilingual, multicultural curriculum for children assigned to the classroom that advances the intellectual and physical development of the children and improves their readiness for school

3. Develops children assigned to the classroom in their: literacy, phonemic and print awareness; understanding and use of their primary language, including increasingly complex and varied vocabulary; appreciation of books; understanding of early math and science; problem-solving abilities; and approaches to learning

4. Creates and maintains a welcoming, inclusive, safe, and developmentally supportive environment to encourage the cognitive, language, social/emotional, and physical development of children and families

5. Meets the individual needs of each child by providing an environment that allows for the inclusion of children with special needs and children who speak a home language other than English

6. Effectively serves children with disabilities and their families; making appropriate adaptations for any disabilities and achieving goals and objectives set forth in the child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP)

7. Models use of proper English grammar for all children, particularly children acquiring English as a second language, to support proper language development

8. Translates and interprets daily activities and events to the child’s home language and/or uses additional strategies when lacking proficiency in the child’s home language to ensure conceptual understanding and support dual language learning

9. Completes developmental and social/emotional screenings within 45 days of enrollment and accurately documents required health information

10. Completes regular and on-going assessments according to program guidelines to identify proficiencies, strengths, possible concerns, and/or delays by monitoring children’s progress and performing all necessary observations

11. Utilizes information from child screenings, assessments, observations, and parent input to establish individualized child goals and plan learning activities for children

12. Develops lesson plans that include at least one (1) home task and one (1) food experience per month

13. Follows specialized physical health care procedures and, as needs of students dictate, provides first aid and performs cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)

14. Implements approved emergency plan and conducts/documents monthly fire drills

15. Complies with all Child/Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) guidelines and completes daily, weekly and end-of-the-month food services documentation and reporting

**Family Engagement**

1. Builds positive relationships with parents/guardians and encourages family involvement in center activities

2. Implements the Strong Fathers Strong Families (SFSF) curriculum and engages fathers and other male guardians to contribute to the education of their children through their participation in center activities

3. Conducts two (2) parent conferences and two (2) educational home visits for each child assigned to the classroom each academic year to build a strong home to school connection and support child/family growth and development

4. Maintains awareness of and contact with community based organizations and service agencies to utilize when coordinating parent conferences and meetings

5. Provides advocacy for participant families and links them to needed community services and resources

6. Provides families with information about community organizations and events and encourages their partici