Primary Caregiver

Description

EXEMPT: No                                                                  SALARY LEVEL: $21-$25.90 DOE

DEPARTMENT: Early Childhood Education             LOCATION: Assigned Head Start Center

SUPERVISOR: Lead Primary Caregiver                     HOURS:  Monday-Friday; 12 months/year

DATE:  08/25/2022                                                       APPROVED BY:  HR Manager  

AGENCY BACKGROUND:  The objective of Sonoma Community Action Network (Sonoma CAN) is to partner with low-income families and individuals to help them achieve economic and social empowerment, build community, and advocate for social and economic justice.  Sonoma CAN operates a wide variety of programs benefiting low-income Sonoma County residents.

Our Mission: Sonoma CAN is a catalyst for equitable transformation, aligning partners and resources to implement values-based, data-driven, community-led solutions that help families reach their full potential.

Our Vision: We see our Sonoma County transformed into an empowered community of thriving families where every child is raised with joy, justice, and connection.

Our Promise: Sonoma CAN changes people’s lives, embodies the spirit of hope, improves communities, and makes America a better place to live. We care about the entire community, and we are dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other.

Working at SonomaCAN

At Sonoma Community Action Network (SonomaCAN), we believe that a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives strengthen our team and help us better serve our community. We are committed to fair hiring practices and a workplace where employees are treated with respect and have the opportunity to grow professionally.

We make employment decisions based on qualifications, merit, and organizational needs. Our hiring process complies with all federal, state, and local laws related to equal employment opportunity and nondiscrimination. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and encourage individuals who meet the qualifications to apply.

TOTAL COMPENSATION PACKAGE: The pay for this position ranges from $20.25 to $24 per hour, depending on experience. Sonoma CAN offers a generous benefits package available on the first day of the month after your date of hire that includes: 

• Medical insurance through Kaiser or Sutter is 80-95% paid by the employer for employee premiums, plus 50% paid by the employer for dependent coverage
• Elective dental, vision insurance, FSA, and Accident insurance.
• Employer-paid $10k of life insurance with expandable options
• Employer-paid Long-term Disability Insurance
• 401(K) plan with a 2% contribution and an additional 1% matched contribution after one year of service
• Employee assistance program, CalPerks
• 3 weeks paid time off (winter and spring breaks)
• 96 hours of sick time per year (4 hours accrued per pay period) based on full-time work
• 1 floating personal day
• 16 paid holidays

SUMMARY OF THE POSITION:

With Supervision, coordinates activities for infants/toddlers as guided by Head Start Performance Standards, Service Area Written Plans, Procedures, and Policies, and California State Community Care Licensing regulations. Carry out responsibilities in accordance with the Agency’s policies and applicable federal and state laws.  

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Supervise and support all children in the classroom 
• Actively participate in the distance learning model of instruction when required
• Adheres to Child Assessment/Observation System & Family Partnership System Timeline
• Ensures and participates in a minimum of 2 parent home visits and two conferences per child. The first home visit is done in partnership with the Family Outreach Worker (except for the Nueva Vista program) 
• Assess children, develop individualized routines, and develop developmentally appropriate plans and curriculum
• Has meaningful, respectful conversations with children throughout each day
• Encourages language development in children in the primary and secondary languages 
• Reinforce the role of the parent as primary caregiver and educator of the child
• Working in partnership with the Lead Primary Caregiver, provide daily leadership in the classroom, including indirectly supervising and directly guiding the work of the Classroom Assistant, Full Inclusion Assistant, if assigned, and classroom volunteers
• Work in partnership with service area managers and center staff to better assess the needs of the children and families to ensure quality services to children and families
• Support and serve as a resource to the families and work with them in assessing their strengths, interests, needs, and make referrals as appropriate
• Builds a close, personal relationship with each child, while creating a warm, accepting, and developmentally appropriate environment which encourages the cognitive, physical, emotional, and social development of the infant/toddler and family
• Maintains warm, friendly, and professional working relationships with children, parents, and coworkers
• Ensure and share in the daily cleaning and sanitization procedures of the classroom, classroom equipment, and outside play yard; maintain health and safety standards for children, classroom volunteers, and staff; Promote good health and nutrition and provide an environment that contributes to the prevention of illness 
• Maintain classroom files on children and ensure confidentiality of client records and information
• Coordinates and cooperates with consultants and specialists on items relevant to the center and children, ensuring maximum use of services and resources.
• May include collaboration/coordination of program services with other community entities: i.e., school districts, those serving children with diagnosed disabilities, State Child Care programs.
• Participate in staff meetings, consultant meetings, trainings, and appropriate special events, as scheduled
• Participate in the team-building process within the program by using established communication channels in a constructive and productive manner that enhances the team effort 
• The health, safety, and supervision of children in the program is essential; therefore, every employee is responsible for the care and supervision of children while they are present at the center
• Understands and implements Head Start Procedures and Head Start Performance Standards
• Other relevant duties, as assigned

Requirements

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

EDUCATION/CERTIFICATES and/or EXPERIENCE:

• A California Children's Center Permit/Child Development Associate Teacher (or higher) Permit with three infant toddler units required; 6 preferred, as well as a minimum of 3 supervision units.  OR
• An Infant/Toddler Child Development Associate credential, as well as a minimum of 3 supervision units, OR
• AA or higher in Early Childhood Education.

In Addition to the above:

• Six months of teaching experience in a preschool/infant-toddler classroom
• High School diploma or GED or equivalent 
• Prior to beginning work, must be able to pass the Community Care Licensing criminal record clearance, and have a current (within one year) TB clearance and Health Screening Report.
• Current Pediatric First Aid, CPR, and Health and Safety Course.
• Bilingual in Spanish & English preferred.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Working knowledge of the principles and practices of child development and adult learning styles.
• Understanding of the principles of bilingual and multicultural education.
• Basic personal computer skills with word processing and email experience
• Basic oral and written communication skills
• Bilingual, Spanish/English preferred.
• Establish and maintain a healthy learning environment
• Support children’s social and emotional development
• Knowledge of and sensitivity to culturally diverse groups and persons from low-income families.
• Basic skills in reading, analyzing, and interpreting procedures and governmental regulations.  
• Basic ability to write reports and correspondence.  Basic ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of parents, children, and staff.   
• Basic ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
• Basic ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of situations with good judgment
• Basic ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS:

• Highly dependable, takes initiative, has good judgment, and is able to function with minimal supervision.
• A sincere interest in the development of all children and in building partnerships with families.
• Works effectively in a team environment and actively participates in joint problem solving; willingly cooperates with co-workers

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. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee occasionally is required to sit at a desk and sometimes use a computer. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls, reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and taste or smell. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 20 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.  The employee drives, approximately 10% of the time, to meetings, trainings, and home visits as scheduled throughout the year. The employee spends approximately 15% of the time writing and/or keyboarding.  

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee works in outside weather conditions for a minimum of 45 minutes a day.  The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate and sometimes noisy.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

OTHER DUTIES

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that is required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.