Child Care Worker

MOUNTAIN ROSE WOMEN’S SHELTER

**Child Care Worker Job Description**

The Child Care Worker will assist the Family Support Worker by providing children with age-appropriate instruction and working with parents to ensure that children are learning and socializing in a positive way. The Child Care Worker will ensure that the children are in a safe, engaging, and clean environment. Our goal is to enhance the lives of every child that attends the Mountain Rose Centre. This position is full time at 36 hours per week and may require some weekend and evening hours depending on family needs.

SERVICE DELIVERY
- Develop supportive relationships within a crisis intervention and domestic violence framework. Staff response is nonjudgmental and empathetic.
- Foster an atmosphere of trust and mutual acceptance in order to facilitate positive parent/child interactions by provision of information, role modeling appropriate behavior, and teaching positive options for behavior or action.
- Inform families of playroom routine and rules; explain children’s activities, and involvement in school program.
- As needed, assist the Family Support Worker to assess the immediate physical and medical needs of the client and her children and make appropriate referrals upon admission.
- Provide competent care of the children’s physical and emotional needs while children are in the playroom area.
- On a daily basis, clearly and concisely document pertinent information and observations in Outcome Tracker.
- Represent the agency to service providers and community agencies and services in a positive and respectful manner when requested by the Executive Director.
- Be a team player

CHILD WELFARE

Assist the Family Support worker to gather factual and corroborating information from staff and others, as appropriate, when child abuse indicators are evident. The Family Support Worker will then provide mothers with a clear explanation of child protection procedures. Assist, if requested, while Family Support Worker makes verbal reports, completes written reports, and ensures that Child Welfare protocol is followed. Consult with Child Welfare workers as required under the direction of the Executive Director.

PROGRAM RESPONSIBILITIES
- Providing care for children, such as setting schedules and routines, grooming, feeding, changing diapers, and cleaning rooms and toys.
- Developing and encouraging age-appropriate learning and socialization to ensure children learn basic skills and concepts, such as communication, manners, sharing, etc.
- Maintaining a safe workplace by monitoring children for health, behavioral, and emotional issues and reporting concerns to Family Support Worker and parents.
- Helping children discover new interests by introducing them to art, music, sports, and other potential hobbies.
- Ensuring children are learning positive behaviors and providing guidance or approved discipline, as needed.
- Keeping records relating to childcare including daily observations and information about activities, snacks served, and medications administered (AS per MRWSA child medication policy).
- Working with parents and Family Support Worker to help children progress towards educational and behavioral goals.
- Always monitor children to be aware of their physical and emotional needs and to maintain their constant safety.
- Perform housekeeping duties such as laundry, cleaning, dishwashing, and changing of linens.
- Accompany children to and from school, and/or on outings as arranged by the Family Support Worker (with appropriate MRWSA consents)
- Develop a cleaning routine throughout the day that keeps all of the interactive areas sanitary and safe.
- Monitor children during outdoor activities and interact with the children to enhance their learning.
- Support children's emotional and social development, encouraging understanding of others and positive self-concepts.

HOUSEHOLD RESPONSIBLITIES

Assist and participate in on-going household maintenance activities by:
Ø Maintaining a current awareness of fire, security, health and safety procedures and maintaining those standards at all times.

Ø Addressing basic maintenance and repair needs of children toys, supplies and playroom in a timely manner.

Ø Supervise care and maintenance of all inside and outside play equipment.

STAFF RELATIONSHIPS AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT

To participate fully and consistently in staff development activities by:
Ø Fully participating in scheduled supervision and staff development meetings, in-services, and training.

Ø Making consistent efforts to up-grade knowledge and skills in pertinent areas.

Ø Effectively completing projects as assigned.

Ø Productive, positive, and consistent participation as a member of the Shelter team (consisting of resource people, volunteers, staff, and Board).

ADMINISTRATION

Ø Ensure all agency forms and documentation is current and accurate including Outcome Tracker

Ø Submit timesheets and expense claims according to established procedur