Early Childhood Support Staff

What You'll Do

• Ensure the physical safety and well-being of all children, including attending to basic needs and following health and safety protocols and licensing regulations. 
• Implement the procedures taught during KY State Orientation training in the areas of Health and Safety, Recognizing/Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect, and Recommended Practices in Early Care and Education.
• Ensure each child is adequately supervised at all times by staying within scope of vision and range of voice (see attached Supervision Tip Sheet for more information.)
• Act as a resource and guide, provoking ideas, problem-solving, and conflict mediation, while allowing children to lead their own learning journeys. This includes asking open-ended questions instead of providing direct answers.
• Engage with children (and everyone) with a kind and firm approach, using an equal balance of warm, gentle interactions and clear boundaries.
• Work in co-teaching teams and collaborate closely with colleagues, administrators, and other specialists and interventionists.
• View parents and families as partners, building strong, authentic partnerships through regular, meaningful communication that creates a cohesive learning community.
• Assume an equal share of staff joint housekeeping responsibilities.
• Engage in ongoing self-reflection and professional development to continually grow and align with best practices in early childhood education.
• Maintain licensing requirements and appropriate accreditation requirements for professional development.
• Participate in developing an individualized annual professional development plan including regular reflection meetings with colleagues and school leadership.

Requirements

• Clean background check
• Current negative TB test
• An alignment and willingness to continue to discover more about the emergent, child-centered approach used at PlayNest
• Commonwealth Child Care Credential, CDA or other college work in early childhood education or related field, or experience working in a licensed child care setting
• CPR and FIrst training or certification, or participation in certification within the first year
• Capacity to lift children, sit on the floor, move around a variety of environments and at a variety of outdoor temperatures, and play with children as invited
• Flexibility and ability to adjust to changes when necessary

Benefits