Early Childhood Educator - Associate Level

Lund’s Early Childhood Program seeks a passionate educator at the Teacher Associate level or higher (licensed or unlicensed) who understands the value of nurturing young minds through play and exploration. Our Early Childhood Program, rated 5-STAR, provides exceptional care and education for children aged six weeks to five years through a play-based curriculum designed to foster social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development in a fun and supportive environment. Our center offers a unique opportunity to engage with children and families with wrap-around support within Lund’s Parent Child Center. 

We seek an engaged and enthusiastic team member excited to create meaningful, joy-filled experiences, who seeks to understand best practices, and is excited to learn a wholistic approach to early childhood education. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:  

• Create and implement creative, developmentally appropriate curriculum and activities 

• Provide unbiased, trauma-informed care of children according to developmental needs 

• Ensure the safety, well-being, and continuous supervision of children at all times 

• Arrange classroom space and educational materials as developmentally appropriate 

• Create and maintain a clean, safe, and healthy environment for children 

This position is full-time, 40 hours a week, in-person at our South Burlington center. The rate of pay for this position is $25/hr. For the full job description,  click here .   

Research shows that individuals from marginalized groups—such as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, women, people with disabilities, and those from working-class backgrounds—often hesitate to apply for jobs unless they can see themselves meeting and performing every responsibility and requirement. However, many skills can be learned on the job. If you can see yourself adding value to the role, our clients, staff, and guests and meeting most of the responsibilities and qualifications, we encourage you to apply! 

What You Will Bring: 

• A CDA,  Associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and one year of experience working with young children is preferred 

• An interest in and commitment to professional development in the field of early childhood education   

• Ability to actively support diversity, equity, and cultural competency efforts within stated job responsibilities and work effectively across diverse cultures 

• Per licensing requirements: A teacher associate is at least twenty (20) years of age, is a high school graduate or has completed a GED, and meets one (1) of the following qualifications:
  • At least a Vermont Early Childhood Career Ladder Level Three (3) Certificate; or 

  • At least an associate degree from an accredited college with a major or concentration in Early Childhood, Child or Human Development, Elementary Education, or Child and Family Services and at least twelve (12) months experience working with groups of children from grade three (3) or younger; or 

  • At least a Certificate of Completion from the Registered Child Care Apprenticeship Program; or 

  • At least a Child Care Certificate from the Community College of Vermont and at least twelve (12) months experience working with groups of children from grade three (3) or younger; or 

  • At least successful completion of twenty-one (21) college credits with an early childhood or school age focus and at least twelve (12) months experience working with groups of children from grade three (3) or younger. 

The successful completion of a background check is a condition of employment. 

Why Join Our Team at Lund 

For over 134 years, Lund has been harnessing hope and providing opportunities to help strengthen families and ensure a safe, secure and loving environment for all Vermont children.  As a multi-service nonprofit organization, Lund serves more than 6,000 individuals each year.  Lund’s mission is to help children thrive by empowering families to break cycles of poverty, addiction and abuse. Lund offers hope and opportunity to families through education, treatment, family support and adoption.  

At Lund, we celebrate our clients' and staff's unique strengths and talents, fostering a supportive, inclusive environment where collaboration thrives. Our work is rooted in a strengths-based approach, focusing on family-centered services, including lifelong adoption support and innovative residential and community treatment programs that address both treatment and parenting. Our team believes in creating a vibrant, fun, and community-oriented workplace, emphasizing professional growth through ongoing training and weekly supervision. We value employee well-being, offering staff-led initiatives for wellness, diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as opportunities for work-life balance, with some positions offering flexible or hybrid schedules. Lund provides competitive pay, paid training, and a comprehensive benefits package for benefits-eligible positions that includes health, dental, life, disability, retirement plans, generous time-off accrual, 13 paid holidays, and wellness reimbursements, making Lund a place where you can thrive personally and professionally. 

Lund does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, genetic information, ancestry, place of birth, age, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. EEO/AA