Early Childhood Teacher

SUMMARY: Mountain Home seeks Full Time Early Childhood Teachers (ECT) for its childcare program. The Early Childhood Teacher (ECT) in Ariya’s Circle is responsible for providing direct care to infants and toddlers ages 0-5 that is nurturing, developmentally appropriate, sensitive, and trauma-informed. The ECT meets the physical and emotional needs of infants and toddlers through purposeful interactions and play and maintains an enriching environment that promotes children's all-around development and changing needs. 

The ideal candidate has a passion and talent for helping children and families thrive. They can connect and empathize with individuals, including diverse and marginalized populations. They remain calm in high-stress situations and encounters and are trustworthy, dependable, relatable, and friendly. They know the impacts that trauma has on a young child’s life and believe that quality, evidence-informed child care provides children with the best start in life. The ideal candidate has experience in providing direct care to children aged 0 - 5, has a working knowledge of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma-Informed Care, and has received education in early childhood, social work, psychology, counseling, etc.

Who We Are

Mountain Home is a fast-growing Missoula nonprofit whose mission is to provide a safe home and nurturing community where young mothers discover their strengths and children thrive. Since 2000, we have built an effective, holistic model of care that integrates supportive housing, mental health care,  employment and education support, trauma-informed childcare, and more. We work closely with young families, donors, and community partners to build brighter futures, two generations at a time. We are an organization that serves our community and our employees.

Who You Are & Keys to Success

To be successful in this job, you will excel in four areas:

• Inclusive leadership, management, and relationship-building: You approach leadership with a mindset of “power with” rather than “power over.” You make it a habit to include others in planning and decision-making. You build authentic relationships with staff, community members, and coalition partners based on mutual trust and respect, especially across lines of difference. You inspire and motivate others to take action and meet ambitious goals. You can develop others through coaching, training, and feedback, and you know when/how to delegate. You hold your team accountable and can acknowledge growing edges (in self and others). 

• Highly organized, motivated, and detail-oriented: You efficiently manage a high volume of work and create systems for keeping tasks from slipping through the cracks. You can juggle multiple projects, plan backward, anticipate obstacles, and find alternative paths when needed. You are dependable through your commitment to your schedule and tasks.

• Excellent communication skills: You speak clearly and professionally in person, on the phone, or via email. You communicate well with clients, staff, and community members. You are honest and genuine. 

• Commitment to racial equity and social justice: You recognize the role of gender, race, income, age, and other identities in shaping our client’s needs. You realize how your identities show up in the work, and welcome, reflect on, and act on feedback with an eye toward continuous learning about justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong commitment to quality, efficiency, and effectiveness
• Logical thinker to identify alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches 
• Accurate and efficient typist and experienced user of computers
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office and Google
• Strong interpersonal skills and professional demeanor
• Self-starter, while working well in a strong team environment
• Work well under pressure and meet tight deadlines
  

Requirements:

• Education in early childhood, social work, psychology, counseling, etc. preferred 
• At least 2 years of experience in Childcare with children aged 0- 5 
• Working knowledge of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma-Informed Care
• CPR/First Aid certification (or willingness to obtain it within a designated time frame) is preferred.

What Else You Should Know

Mountain Home is an equal-opportunity employer and we value having staff who come from communities of diverse perspectives and have lived experience. We encourage people of color, indigenous folx, members of the LGBTQ community, and people with disabilities to apply. All offers of employment at Mountain Home are contingent upon clear results of a thorough background check. 

All offers of employment at Mountain Home are contingent upon clear results of a thorough background check. The following factors will be considered for applicants with a criminal and/or less-than-ideal driving history:

• The nature of the conduct/behavior and its relationship to the position

• The recency of and the circumstances surrounding the conduct/behavior

• The age of an individual at the time of the conduct/behavior

• Societal/cultural conditions that may have contributed to the conduct/behavior

• The probability that an individual will continue the conduct/behavior
• The individual’s commitment to rehabilitation and changing their behavior

Salary : $17 - $19