Job DescriptionChildren's Specialist - Full Time 1st ShiftSchedule Available:Sunday - Thursday First Shift: 6:45 am - 3:00 pmOne 4 hour on call shift per week. On-call requires that you are able to arrive with-in 30 minutes to help cover the shift and care for children. Pay is time and a half your hourly rate if called in to work.
Overview:Children's Specialist provides direct client care for children, newborn through six years of age, who are voluntarily placed by guardians at Crisis Nursery. They will engage in intentional, developmentally and trauma-informed interventions to prevent child abuse and neglect, provide security, and provide care that helps children and strengthens families. The Children's Specialist reports to the Director of Programming.
Essential duties: - Provide direct care for children in a healthy and nurturing care environment.
- Plan and implement social-emotional, educational, and recreational age appropriate activities for children.
- Assist children to develop safe and appropriate ways of interacting and expressing their feelings.
- Manage children's behavior with the purpose of reinforcing positive behaviors and de-escalating challenging behaviors while processing the situation and providing alternatives in a positive manner.
- Maintain accurate placement of logs of child's daily activities meals.
- Prepare for shift by reading children's files, admission information, parent identified goals and other relevant information.
- Complete other duties as assigned to meet agency needs.
Organizational Expectations: - Model healthy, professional behavior while working with children, families, staff and volunteers you come into contact with at the Nursery
- Communicate effectively with other staff, supervisors, and volunteers.
- Work as part of a team to complete duties and meet agency needs.
- Work with diverse economic, cultural, and racial backgrounds.
Position Qualifications: - Must be 21 years of age or older.
- 2 years college credit or 2 years of experience in early childhood education required
- CPR / First Aid certification, or be willing to complete certification
- Skills needed to succeed:
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively to make decisions under pressure in a fast-paced, ever changing environment.
- Ability to work with other staff on shift to ensure proper care of children and that daily duties are completed.
- Ability to communicate effectively.
- Passionate about the Nursery's mission and values.
Psychological Considerations: - Ability to bend from a standing position
- Ability to lift and carry up to 40 pounds
- Ability to sit on the floor and rise quickly
- Ability to hear a child speaking or crying
J
ob Type: Full Time / Hourly
Pay Range: $16.50-$18 per hour depending on experience
Benefits Offered: Health, Life, Dental, Vision, Short Term Disability, Accident, Critical Illness, & Simple IRA Vacation, Personal, & Sick (IL paid leave for all) paid time off available