Child Watch Attendant

POSITION SUMMARY:

Under the direction of the Business Administrator, this position is responsible for the safety and supervision of children while their parents are participating in on-site recreation activities or classes. Attendants primarily provide a positive play atmosphere for children ages 0-8 indoors. Ensures a quality experience to children and parents that focuses on the YMCA values: honesty, respect, responsibility, and caring.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Supervise, provide care, actively interact, and play with children in activities that can include the following actions: reading, drawing, coloring, puzzles, games, and playing with toys.
2. Ensure that the child watch environment is safe and welcoming. Assists in supporting children’s social-emotional development and providing positive guidance.
3. Establish effective interpersonal relationships through honest, open communication with co-workers, children, and parents.
4. Utilizes appropriate group management techniques by leading and instructing children in games and other activities. Building enthusiasm for activities and programs.
5. Assists children as needed with appropriate phases of self-help training (dressing, toileting, handwashing, eating, etc. ) Encourages daily health routines with children such as hand washing.
6. Provides comfort to upset or ill children, contacting parents as necessary.
7. Takes proper safety precautions, anticipates unsafe circumstances, and acts accordingly to prevent accidents. Provides adequate supervision ensuring the safety of active children and engaging in those activities.
8. Become CPR and First Aid certified. Perform CPR and First Aid if needed.
9. Serve as a positive role model with an emphasis on developing and maintaining effective communication with participants, parents, other staff and supervisors.
10. Follow work site requirements regarding punctuality, appropriate dress, staff meeting attendance, etc.
11. Ensure program, staff and patrons maintain hygiene habits/practices in accordance with CDC guidelines.
12. Nurtures children through purposeful programming; plans activities that are intended to achieve program goals and outcomes, are culturally relevant, are developmentally appropriate, and are consistent with the Y’s values.
13. Creates a positive rapport and shared interest with all youth; models relationship-building skills in all interactions.
14. Provides opportunities for youth to lead, problem-solve, and make decisions and choices within the program and provides daily opportunities for youth to reflect on and respond to their experiences.
15. Provides and welcomes ongoing dialogue with parents and caregivers about their child’s needs and progress; connects families to the Y.
16. Greet and assist all members, potential members, volunteers, and staff in a courteous, professional, and friendly manner. Be enthusiastic towards members by learning their names and expressing an interest in their YMCA activities. Strive to enrich their YMCA experience by introducing them to new programs, staff, members, and volunteer activities.
17. Respond to members' needs. Contact appropriate personnel when necessary. Handle complaints in a courteous manner. Effectively negotiate and resolve customer service problems.
18. Assist in maintenance duties to include sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, and general cleanliness of Child Watch areas. Helps with maintaining cleanliness of participation areas (washes tables before and after snack, sweeps floor, cleans up any spills promptly, etc.)
19. Maintains and cleans equipment and supplies according to the schedule or as requested by supervisor.
20. Maintain a working knowledge of the YMCA rules, policies, and emergency procedures and act as the control center for the Child Watch areas during emergency situations.
21. Shares Child Watch program information with members, using available tools and resources (e.g., handouts, schedules).
22. Assist other staff as needed and perform other duties as assigned.

YMCA COMPETENCIES:

Mission Advancement: Models and teaches the Ys values. Ensures a high level of service with a commitment to changing lives. Provides volunteers with orientation, training, development, and recognition. Cultivates relationships to support fund-raising.

Collaboration: Champions inclusion activities, strategies, and initiatives. Builds relationships to create small communities. Empathetically listens and communicates for understanding when negotiating and dealing with conflict. Effectively tailor’s communications to the appropriate audience. Provides staff with feedback, coaching, guidance, and support.

Operational Effectiveness: Provides others with frameworks for making decisions. Conducts prototypes to support the launching of programs and activities. Develops plans and manages best practices through engagement of team. Effectively creates and manages budgets. Holds staff accountable for high-quality results using a formal process to measure progress.

Personal Growth: Shares new insights. Facilitates change, models adaptability and an awareness of the impact of change. Utilizes non-threatening methods to address sensitive issues and inappropriate behavior or performance. Has the functional and technical knowledge and skills required to perform well; uses best practices and demonstrates up-to-date knowledge and skills in technology.

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Prior experience working with children ages 0-8 preferred.
2. Certifications required within 30 days of hire: CPR/AED, and First Aid.
3. Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills.
4. Desire and ability to work with children with or without diverse abilities and special needs.
5. Ability to relate effectively to diverse groups of people from all social and economic segments of the community.
6. This individual must familiarize themselves with YMCA rules and policies within 30 days of employment. Since this position is dealing directly with members, program participants, volunteers, and staff in a position of authority, above-average verbal communication skills are required.

WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• The employee frequently is required to sit and reach and must be able to move around the work environment.
• The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, use hands to handle or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, and talk and hear.
• Performs heavy work which includes exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force to constantly move objects, including human bodies.
• Ability to plan, lead, and participate in a range of activities in a variety of outdoor/indoor settings. Frequently subject to environmental conditions and unstable surfaces.
• Sufficient strength, agility, and mobility to perform essential functions and to supervise program activities in a wide variety of indoor and outdoor locations. In this position, this person will not frequently be required to work in outside weather conditions.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.
• Acute hearing skills are required. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate – high that may cause the worker to shout to be heard above ambient noise level.

Salary : $14 - $15