After-School Group Leader

Mother’s Touch After-School Program

Group Leader

Organization: Mother’s Touch Foundation

Program: Mother’s Touch After-School Program

Position: Group Leader

Schedule: Monday–Friday, approximately 2:30 PM–6:00

PM

Employment Classification: Part-Time

Reports To: Program Director / Administrator

Position Overview

The Mother’s Touch Group Leader is responsible for

creating and maintaining a safe, structured, nurturing, and

engaging environment for children participating in the

after-school program.

The Group Leader serves as a consistent adult presence

for an assigned group of children and helps guide their

transition from the structure and stimulation of the school

day into an environment centered on learning, self-

awareness, emotional regulation, creativity, movement,

and positive social interaction.

This position requires someone who understands that

children communicate through both their words and their

behavior. The Group Leader should be patient, observant,

dependable, emotionally grounded, and capable of

responding to children with both compassion and

appropriate structure.

Core Responsibilities

The Group Leader will:

• Maintain direct supervision of assigned children

throughout program hours and ensure children

remain accounted for during all activities and

transitions.

• Create a physically and emotionally safe environment

where children feel respected, supported, and

included.

• Lead and assist with structured after-school activities,

including homework support, recreation, creative

activities, group discussions, movement, and

enrichment.

• Support Mother’s Touch mindfulness, breathing,

stretching, stillness, and emotional-regulation

activities in accordance with program training and

established procedures.

• Help children transition calmly between school,

homework, activities, meals/snacks, recreation, and

dismissal.

• Encourage healthy communication, cooperation, self-

confidence, accountability, and conflict-resolution

skills.

• Observe children’s behavior, participation, social

interactions, and emotional needs and communicate

significant concerns to appropriate program

leadership.

• Respond calmly and appropriately to behavioral

challenges while using positive guidance and de-

escalation strategies.

• Provide additional support to children who may

become overstimulated or require a quieter

environment, consistent with their individual needs

and program procedures.

• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries with

children and families.

• Ensure program spaces remain organized, safe,

welcoming, and appropriate for participating

children.

• Assist with attendance, sign-in/sign-out procedures,

authorized pickup procedures, incident

documentation, and other required program records.

• Follow all emergency, health, safety, child-protection,

and supervision procedures.

• Immediately report injuries, safety concerns,

suspected abuse or maltreatment, unusual incidents,

or other required matters to appropriate program

leadership in accordance with applicable policies and

reporting requirements.

• Communicate professionally with parents, guardians,

school personnel, coworkers, and program

leadership.

• Participate in staff meetings, professional

development, program-specific training, and ongoing

coaching.

• Work collaboratively with social workers,

mindfulness/meditation staff, classroom support staff,

and other members of the Mother’s Touch team.

• Support the overall mission, culture, and standards of

Mother’s Touch.

Role Within the Mother’s Touch Model

The Group Leader is not simply responsible for managing

children. The Group Leader helps create the atmosphere

children experience each afternoon.

Mother’s Touch recognizes that children may enter the

program carrying stress, frustration, overstimulation, or

emotional experiences from their school day or home

environment. Group Leaders are expected to meet

children with awareness while maintaining healthy

boundaries and structure.

The goal is to help children develop the ability to

recognize what they are feeling, regulate themselves in

healthy ways, communicate effectively, make thoughtful

choices, and experience a greater sense of confidence and

peace.

Group Leaders will receive training on the specific

practices and methods used within the Mother’s Touch

program and are expected to apply those methods

consistently and responsibly.

Daily Responsibilities

A typical afternoon may include:

Student Arrival & Transition

• Receive students and verify attendance.
• Help children transition from the school day into the

after-school environment.

• Observe the general emotional and behavioral state of

the group.

• Establish a calm, organized beginning to the

afternoon.

Homework & Academic Support

• Maintain an environment conducive to completing

homework.

• Encourage independence while providing age-

appropriate assistance.

• Help children develop organization and responsibility

around schoolwork.

Mindfulness & Regulation

• Facilitate or support short breathing, mindfulness,

stretching, movement, grounding, or quiet-time

exercises established by the program.

• Help children identify appropriate strategies for

managing frustration, overstimulation,

disagreements, and other emotional experiences.

Enrichment & Recreation

• Lead age-appropriate recreational, creative,

educational, and social activities.

• Encourage participation without unnecessarily

forcing children into activities.

• Promote teamwork, curiosity, creativity, and healthy

peer relationships.

Dismissal

• Maintain accurate accountability of children.
• Follow authorized pickup and dismissal procedures.
• Ensure children are released only according to

established program policies.

Qualifications

Candidates should demonstrate:

• Experience working effectively with school-age

children.

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Patience, maturity, reliability, and sound judgment.
• Ability to supervise multiple children while

maintaining awareness of individual needs.

• Ability to establish healthy boundaries while building

positive relationships with children.

• Ability to remain calm and responsive during

challenging situations.

• Willingness to learn and consistently apply the

Mother’s Touch approach to mindfulness, emotional

regulation, and child development.

• Ability to collaborate effectively as part of a

multidisciplinary team.

• Commitment to maintaining confidentiality and

protecting children’s privacy.

• Ability to satisfy all applicable background-check,

health, training, and regulatory requirements

associated with the position.

Education, experience, age, training, and credential

requirements will be maintained in accordance with the

requirements applicable to the program and the

individual’s assigned responsibilities.

Preferred Experience

Preference may be given to candidates with experience in

one or more of the following areas:

• After-school or school-age childcare programs
• Youth development
• Education or classroom support
• Social-emotional learning
• Special education
• Working with neurodiverse children
• Recreation or youth mentorship
• Mindfulness or movement-based programming
• Community-based youth programs

Professional Expectations

Every Group Leader is expected to model the qualities

Mother’s Touch seeks to cultivate in children: self-

awareness, patience, accountability, respect, emotional

steadiness, healthy communication, and thoughtful

decision-making.

Staff members should understand that their tone, body

language, communication, and response to stressful

situations contribute directly to the environment children

experience.

Group Leaders are therefore expected to regulate

themselves before attempting to regulate a child, address

behavior without unnecessarily shaming the child,

maintain consistent expectations, and recognize when

additional professional support is needed.

Physical & Operational Requirements

The position may require the ability to:

• Remain actively engaged with children for the

duration of the program.

• Move throughout classrooms, recreational spaces,

hallways, and outdoor areas.

• Participate in age-appropriate movement and

recreational activities.

• Respond promptly during emergencies.
• Supervise indoor and outdoor activities.
• Perform other reasonable duties necessary for the

safe operation of the program.

Mother’s Touch Mission

Mother’s Touch exists to nurture the children who will

eventually help shape the world of the future. We believe

that what is cultivated within children ultimately becomes

reflected in families, communities, and society.

Our goal is to provide children with an environment

where they can develop greater self-awareness,

confidence, emotional regulation, healthy relationships,

and the ability to choose peace over chaos.

The Group Leader plays a direct role in bringing that

mission to life every day.

Pay: $36,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person

Salary : $36,000