Position Purpose:

To provide a successful, safe and supervised educational setting for infants and toddlers while they are in the Early Head Start environment (classroom, outdoor play area, and field trips);

To promote the social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development of Head Start children relative to the Creative Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers, Head Start Performance Standards/Domains, and Licensing guidelines.

To encourage parental involvement in all aspects of the program;

To develop individual goals for infants and toddlers, provide on-going assessment on progress, promote positive child outcomes and facilitate transition into Head Start or an appropriate preschool program.

Physical/Mental Abilities and Processes:

•  Frequent significant decisions to assure developmental progress of infant/toddlers.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise infant/toddlers and ensure a safe learning environment including the ability to monitor and respond to events going on at all times in classroom, outdoor play areas and on field trips. This includes the physical ability to move quickly in order to respond to infant/toddlers who are very active and may need restraint or redirection in order to insure their safety or the safety of others in the environment. 
• Ability to respond appropriately (both mentally and physically) to an emergency or a crisis situation. 
• Daily kneeling, stooping, bending, and sitting on the floor to attend to infant and toddler's needs.

Position Information:

12-month position

Supervised by Early Head Start Coordinator.

Essential Job Responsibilities: Performance Indicators

Child Contact/Classroom Time (40%)

• Meet the needs of all infant/toddlers including those with special needs, those who are gifted and those who are culturally diverse.
• Integrate all Early Head Start service areas into classroom time.
• Develop and utilize lesson plans, which reflect mandated elements, parental and cultural influences, and promote the social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development of Early Head Start children.
• Implement ongoing early child/family literacy activities. 
• Individualize one-to-one and group activities to reflect the unique needs and strengths of all infant/toddlers in the classroom. Observe and record behaviors of infant/toddlers to assist in this process.
• Follow a consistent schedule, which includes small and large group experiences, choice time, music and movement, large and small motor activities, skill development, meals, and effective transitions between activities.
• Encourage experimentation, exploration, problem solving, cooperation, socialization, and choice making, ask open-ended questions and listen respectfully to the answers. 
• Provide an atmosphere that promotes and reinforces parental involvement in the classroom.
• Conduct ongoing assessments for children and record data using the Creative Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers and Teaching Strategies Gold web-based assessment tool.
• Work with appropriate agencies in developing specialized planning for infant/toddlers /families, as needed. 
• Supervise and monitor infant/toddlers at all times.
• Respond to crisis or emergency situations that may occur and provide first aid or CPR. Prevent the spread of blood borne pathogens, and access emergency services as needed.

 Written Documentation (20%)

Maintain accurate written records; including assessments, special education documentation, screening instruments, anecdotal observations, documents for transition to public school and parent/teacher conference, home visits and other required forms.

Collaborative Service Delivery/Home Visits (15%)

Provide classroom supervision and effective communication for teacher assistants and all volunteers. Ensure teamwork with teacher assistant and others assigned to the class.

Participate in regularly scheduled team meetings to plan for and deliver collaborative services across all service areas.

Meet regularly with parents, and other staff regarding each infant/toddler's status and progress.

Conduct regular home visits and parent/teacher conferences for purposes of assessment and support, and to share information on classroom progress, educational strategies and parenting.

Curriculum Development (20%)

Assess individual and group needs, attending to special needs, specific interests, strengths and concerns.

With parental involvement, develop balanced lesson plans, which are developmentally appropriate, intellectually challenging and address each infant/toddler's specific strengths and needs.

Establish daily and weekly goals, which will promote individual and group educational plans and include other Early Head Start service areas.

Prepare classroom materials to support lesson plans and change and create learning centers as needed.

Adapt curriculum to address and meet individual goals for infant/toddlers as identified in their individualized plans.

Miscellaneous (5%)

Attend meetings, trainings, and appropriate professional development activities.

Assure general classroom maintenance/sanitization, laundry and security of facility where applicable.

Maintain an inventory of classroom equipment.

Other duties as requested.

Knowledge/Skills/Experience/Documentation Required:

Strong knowledge of child development, family dynamics, and the needs of children:

• Minimum educational requirement of associate's degree in early childhood education or bachelors in early childhood education, or a bachelor's in a related field that includes classes focusing on early childhood education/development. Note: A current CDA Credential will be accepted on the condition that the employee enrolls in ECE coursework (upon completion of provisionary status) to begin working towards a degree. 
• Where indicated: Staff working as Teachers in the Infant/Toddler classroom will obtain a CDA credential for Infant/Toddler caregiver or have the equivalent credential within one year of hire.
• Diploma/transcripts will be required to validate early childhood education degree or transcripts to validate related classes if bachelor's degree is in a related field.
• Prefer two years' experience in infant/toddler classroom with ability to adapt curriculum to meet the needs of all children including special needs, gifted, and culturally diverse populations.
• Ability to apply early childhood development theory in daily classroom activities, and adapt to the individual needs of infant/toddlers.
• Excellent communication skills, especially good listening and writing skills.
• If a licensed driver, employee must have a valid Virginia Driver's License and proof of current auto insurance where applicable.
• Employment is conditional pending immediate enrollment in Child Care Division - Criminal History Registry.
• Must present current TB/Physical at the time of employment or within 10 working days for TB test and 30 days for physical.

Hampton Roads Community Action Program offers a variety of employee benefits, which generally will be available to you on the first day of the month following your date of hire. Medical, dental and vision insurance coverage options are available for employees and dependents. Employer pays seventy-five (75%) of the premium costs for health insurance. Coverage becomes effective on the first day of the month following the date of hire. The cost of coverage depends on the plan options and/or dependent coverage elected. All health insurance premiums are deducted from payroll on a pre-tax basis through a Section 125 Plan. Our retirement plan consists of a dollar for dollar matching contribution on salary reduction contributions made by each participant up to 3% after one year of service. Hampton Roads Community Action Program also provides eleven (11) paid holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day after Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day