Director of Child Care

The Childcare Director reports to the Director of Career and Technical Education and is responsible for the overall coordination, management, and daily operation of the Infant and Toddler Child Care Center. The Director ensures that the center maintains a safe, nurturing, developmentally appropriate, and high-quality early childhood environment for children, families, staff, and students.

The Childcare Director oversees program implementation, staffing, scheduling, budgeting, curriculum coordination, regulatory compliance, and daily operations. This includes supervising and evaluating child care staff, supporting effective instructional and caregiving practices, managing financial and operational systems, and fostering positive relationships with families, staff, licensing agencies, community partners, and school leadership.

In addition, the Childcare Director works collaboratively with the Chapter 74 Early Education and Care program to support meaningful educational experiences for students enrolled in the program. The Director helps ensure that Chapter 74 students have appropriate opportunities to observe, participate, and apply their learning within the child care setting under proper supervision and in accordance with all applicable EEC regulations, safety requirements, and expectations. This role requires ongoing collaboration with Chapter 74 teachers, the Program Supervisor, child care staff, and school leadership to ensure alignment between the operational needs of the center and the instructional goals of the Early Education and Care program.

The Childcare Director also serves as an advocate for early childhood education by promoting the value of high-quality care and learning to families, educators, students, and the broader community, while ensuring that this commitment is reflected in the daily experiences of the children served by the center.

Essential Functions: The essential functions or duties listed below are intended as an illustration of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the role.

The Childcare Director will:

• Maintain high-quality child care standards based on developmentally appropriate practices at all times.
• Oversee the daily operation of the Infant and Toddler Child Care Center, ensuring a safe, nurturing, organized, and developmentally appropriate environment.
• Supervise and evaluate all staff members of the child care center, including substitute staff.
• Oversee the hiring process, onboarding, and orientation for all new child care staff.
• Provide accurate, meaningful, and timely annual performance evaluations for all child care staff.
• Develop staff schedules and ensure appropriate staffing patterns, supervision, and coverage in accordance with program needs and regulatory requirements.
• Develop, implement, and monitor policies and procedures for the effective operation of the child care center.
• Ensure compliance with applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations governing child care, including requirements related to staffing, supervision, health and safety, the physical environment, and student participation.
• Manage and coordinate curriculum implementation to ensure developmentally appropriate learning experiences for children.
• Support high-quality instructional and caregiving practices that promote children’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development.
• Develop and manage the center’s budget, establish appropriate fiscal controls, and ensure funds are used responsibly and prudently.
• Ensure the program operates in a cost-effective manner while maintaining high standards of care and service.
• Manage the financial affairs of the child care facility in collaboration with appropriate school or district personnel.
• Partner with families to support a shared commitment to providing high-quality care and education for their children.
• Cultivate positive and professional relationships with families, child care staff, Chapter 74 teachers, state licensing authorities, community contacts, corporate partners, and school leadership.
• Coordinate with the Chapter 74 Early Education and Care program to align operational practices, student learning experiences, and program procedures with applicable EEC regulations and Chapter 74 expectations.
• Collaborate with Chapter 74 Early Education and Care teachers and the Program Supervisor to support and expand meaningful educational opportunities for students participating in the Chapter 74 program.
• Facilitate appropriate opportunities for Chapter 74 Early Education and Care students to observe, participate, and apply their learning within the child care setting under proper supervision and in accordance with all licensing and safety requirements.
• Support a structured and supportive learning environment that balances the educational needs of Chapter 74 students with the health, safety, supervision, and developmental needs of children enrolled in the center.
• Foster ongoing communication and collaboration among child care staff, Chapter 74 instructional staff, the Program Supervisor, and school leadership to strengthen program coherence and student learning opportunities.
• Communicate effectively with staff, students, families, school personnel, and community partners.
• Promote a positive, caring, and professional climate for learning, growth, and collaboration among children, staff, students, and families.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree required; degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Education, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of three years of experience as a classroom teacher of young children.
• Must meet all state-specific qualifications and licensing requirements for the Childcare Director role.
• Thorough knowledge of child care center operations, including staffing, scheduling, supervision, curriculum implementation, family engagement, licensing, and compliance.
• Comprehensive understanding of developmentally appropriate practices and demonstrated success implementing high-quality programs for young children.
• Knowledge of state licensing regulations and experience ensuring program compliance with applicable requirements.
• Strong ability to build positive relationships with children, families, staff, students, and community partners.
• Demonstrated commitment to creating a caring, inclusive, and engaging environment where play, discovery, learning, and development are valued.
• Strong organizational, communication, customer service, and public relations skills.
• Ability to coordinate center functions, manage multiple priorities, and respond effectively to the daily operational needs of a child care setting.
• Ability to implement policies and procedures consistently and effectively.
• Experience with budget management and financial accountability required; experience with revenue generation preferred.
• Ability to accept, respect, and respond appropriately to differences among children, families, staff, students, and coworkers.
• Strong commitment to supporting the growth, safety, and well-being of young children while fostering a positive and professional culture for staff and families.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Must be physically able to use a computer with basic proficiency
• Lift a minimum of 40 pounds, and work indoors or outdoors.
• Must be able to assume postures in low levels to allow physical and visual contact with children, see and hear well enough to keep children safe, and engage in physical activity.
• Ability to speak, read, and write English.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative to those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.