floater

caterpillar care ® is concerned with the: safety, love, & education of all children. our nursery & day care centers are focused on the critical care & educational needs of infants “caterpillars” (6) six weeks of age – toddlers “butterflies” (35) thirty-five months of age.

caterpillar care ® is a nursery & day care. we're the step before pre-school. it is our company’s initiative to put young and working parents at ease, while their little ones are safe in our care.

our schools offer professional ‘year-round’ and/or annual day care services for clients: monday – friday, from 6:00 a.m. cst – 6:00 p.m. cst. (*center locations officially open/close between 6:00 a.m. cst – 7:00 p.m. cst, which may vary by day – in conjunction with official center closure: guidelines, policies, & procedures).

this is a full-time salaried position, in where an eligible candidate is responsible for working under the direct supervision of the assistant director & director, while employed in union with all other center: executives, partners, directors, managers, employees, clients, contractors, vendors, sponsors, & affiliates – and performing their necessary day-to-day functions/duties at caterpillar care ®.

working for caterpillar care ® is rewarding in an innumerous amount of ways. in order to discover these rewards though, eligible candidates need only consider this position if they’re looking for a career in child care.

furthermore, eligible candidates should appreciate working closely with the founders of the company, as they will need to report directly with them from time-to-time. eligible candidates may learn of the details entailing this position below:

essential duties

interactions with children

the daily-goal for all teachers at caterpillar care ® is to provide a: safe, warm/nurturing, and loving environment in where: self-concepts are enhanced, independence encouraged, and individuality respected. to this end, this position’s specific responsibilities are included & listed, but not limited to the following:

• protects the safety of all children in the center.
• directly responsible for children (group of four or five) at all times. infant ratio [1:4] & toddler ratio [1:5]..
• uses positive phrasing with children. (no: cussing, swearing, screaming, or yelling).
• communicates frequently with children throughout the day in: naming objects, actions, and; who, what, when, where, & why (open-ended questions).
• exhibits behavior management consistent with caterpillar care ® philosophies & methodologies including: reflecting on children’s feelings, approaching children to speak with them, directing comments toward children’s behavior - and not at the children themselves, etc…
• co-plays/interacts with children during play activities both indoors & outdoors.
• treats each child with sincerely genuine and thoughtfully delicate - quality care. each care taker must provide each child with dignity & respect, recognizing the: traditional, cultural, religious, spiritual, ethical, moral, and socio-economic diversities within the population.
• responds to the individual needs and learning styles of children.
• responds to children in distress promptly, efficiently, and appropriately.
• is responsible for all meal-time activities of their designated group. assists children in serving themselves in an individual and/or family-style fashion, and sits with children; preferably eating with them when possible. monitors children closely during meals.

health & safety issues

• complies with ‘all’ applicable universal precautions and infection control: guidelines, policies, & procedures.
• displays familiarity with and follows the caterpillar care ®: guidelines, policies, & procedures.
• reports any needed facility repairs immediately to both the assistant director & director.
• is responsible for the: welfare, health, & safety of the children in our centers.
• ensures that children are supervised at all times, even when children are in the restroom.
• in the event of an evacuation of the center and/or building, eligible candidate will be responsible for calmly assisting in said emergency and in-practice drills. eligible candidate is able and willing to respond to any form of distress and/or emergency.
• cleans and disinfects: ‘mouthed toys’, toys, chairs/tables, mats/floors, cribs/cots, & various objects/spaces (daily).
• checks on sleeping infants every (5) five minutes, and toddlers every (15) fifteen minutes.

planning

• plans and follows activities reflecting the anti-bias philosophy of caterpillar care ® with age-appropriate and individualized activities. provides a well-balanced schedule of individual/group activities, and active/quiet activities - with variations in structure.
• plans open-ended activities with an emphasis on process orientation and developmentally appropriate curriculum within the parameters/guidelines of “the creative curriculum.”
• plans supervised activities for indoors & outdoors involving “gross motor play” during severe and/or inclement weather, which may prevent outdoor play (at least (1) one hour per day).
• keeps informal classroom notes on children’s progress on an on-going basis.
• develops and maintains portfolios of children’s developmental progress; keeping: records, work samples, & other evidence of growth/development.
• reads to children daily.
• plans & follows circle-time schedule, which will include hands-on, interactive activities.

interaction with parents

caterpillar care ® establishes and maintains collaborative relationships with each child’s family in order to foster children development. these relationships are sensitive to family (client): composition, language, & culture:

• acknowledges parent and child with a greeting at drop-off & pick-up.
• communicates with parents daily, and reports at least (1) one positive event (i.e. accomplishment, amusing anecdote, etc...) about each child to the parent.
• owns an apple iphone device model (11) eleven or higher, in good working order, which will always be charged and brought with candidate to work daily for regular company communication.
• prepares daily digital diaries or end-of-day reports for parents, highlighting children’s experiences - each and every day.
• treats each parent with sincerely genuine and unforgettable experiences. each care taker must provide each parent with dignity & respect, recognizing the: traditional, cultural, religious, spiritual, ethical, moral, and socio-economic diversities within the population.
• inform parents of classroom and center activities, while encouraging family involvement.
• brings any parent feedback and/or concerns about children, or our operation in general, etc...to the attention of the assistant director & director immediately, first before discussing a resolution with the parent, and documents all such parent communication and correspondence.
• insures that ‘all’ items: (paperwork, dirty clothes, & miscellaneous items) are taken home daily by parents, and follows-up with parents on items needed to be brought to the center. (we are ‘not’ a storage facility and/or personal shoppers).
• respects the confidentiality of our families, and takes care not to speak in-front of the children about any said child, or any other parents/children – without having considered these issues. (privacy & discretion go a long way in our business).
• participates in parent conferences as needed.
• accommodates special requests from parents whenever possible. (within caterpillar care’s ®: guidelines, policies, & procedures).

classroom appearance

• creates and maintains a classroom environment which reflects the diversity of our children & families, while having considered our children’s interests, including ‘all’ areas of the room; (i.e. art, science, speech, literacy, math, blocks, & dramatic play).
• labels and maintains orderly shelves, including pictures and/or words for easy identification by children.
• displays children’s artwork/projects in an attractive or ‘staged’ manner/method.
• cleans: floors/mats, tables/chairs, sinks (dishes/bottles) after meals, toys, post-incidentals; when spills occur, & after messy events - sanitizes according to infection control: guidelines, policies, & procedures.
• maintains child cubbies neatly, organizing periodically - and sending home, older papers and other child belongings daily.
• leaves classroom at the end of each business day with: floors/mats, tables/chairs, toys, & miscellaneous debris cleaned - daily. (centers must be ‘staged’, as-if ready for a new-client tour at the end of each business day).
• shares cleaning/organizing/staging duties fairly with colleagues, and maintains a: cleanly, safe, & attractive ‘picture-perfect’ center environment.

general/professionalism

• has good work habits, which allow candidate to be in-place and ready to work at scheduled time, and shows no undue tardiness or absenteeism. (a single “no call, no show” occurrence may lead to an immediate employee termination).
• records, documents, and remains current with all state and city requirements for: physical examination, first-aid, cpr, & in-service training, etc...
• tidies and refines children’s appearance throughout the day (often for picture opportunities; seeing that shoes are on children’s proper feet - tied, and that hands and faces remain clean, etc...).
• takes pictures daily, while actively supporting/participating in caterpillar care’s ® social media company profiles/networks, which serve as an online community/forum for parents to interact.
• follows opening and closing: guidelines, policies, & procedures as dictated by work schedule.
• acts as a positive representative of caterpillar care ® with: family, friends, colleagues, parents (clients), communities, & the general public (including ‘all’ media & social media outlets – during: active pre-employment, active employment, & post-employment).
• cooperates with, and shows respect to ‘all’ co-workers, at ‘all’ levels of employment.
• completes classroom attendance on an on-going basis; being aware of the number of children in their care at all times.
• checks company e-mail daily.
• communicates: efficiently, clearly, & often (daily).
• does ‘not’ partake in or condone company gossip.
• does ‘not’ waste any company time (during scheduled work-days) for personal matters. (there is ‘always’ something constructive to do at our day care centers on any given work day).
• comes to work, showered & clean – and made-up in a professional manner. proper hygiene is critical in a business where social interaction epitomizes the experience.
• wears professional work-appropriate attire in accordance to caterpillar care’s ®: guidelines, policies, & procedures. (company apparel will be provided).

educational requirements

• high school diploma.
• first aid & cpr certified.

i have read, and acknowledge this information. i willingly agree to comply with: these terms & conditions, acknowledge the statements listed, and will perform my essential duties in the position of “floater” to the best of my ability, while looking-out for the best interests of caterpillar care ®.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $31,200.00 - $32,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Employee discount
• Flexible schedule
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Professional development assistance
• Referral program
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Monday to Friday

School type:

• Montessori
• Private school

Education:

• High school or equivalent (Required)

Experience:

• Early Childhood Education: 1 year (Required)
• Child Care: 1 year (Required)

Language:

• English (Required)
• Spanish (Preferred)

License/Certification:

• First Aid Certification (Preferred)
• Child Development Associate Certification (Preferred)
• CPR Certification (Preferred)
• AED Certification (Preferred)

Shift availability:

• Day Shift (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• Chicago, IL 60611: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person