ECEAP Full Production Food Service

Job Description

Job Description

About This Role

Position: ECEAP Full Production Food Service

Reports to: Food Service Supervisor

Hours: Full Time

Status: Non Exempt

The ECEAP Food Service employee supports daily operations in a full production kitchen by preparing and cooking nutritious meals and snacks for ECEAP classrooms. Working under the direction of the Food Service Supervisor, this position follows Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), ECEAP, agency, food safety, and sanitation requirements; portions and prepares food for classroom service; maintains complete and accurate records; and keeps the kitchen, equipment, utensils, and work areas clean, safe, and organized.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Prepare, cook, portion, package, and organize meals and snacks according to approved menus, standardized recipes, production schedules, age-appropriate serving sizes, and supervisor direction.
• Prepare food and supplies for delivery or distribution to classrooms, ensuring items are complete, labeled when required, protected from contamination, and ready on schedule.
• Follow CACFP meal-pattern requirements and agency procedures for meal components, portions, substitutions, and documentation.
• Follow approved procedures for children with food allergies, medical dietary needs, and other documented meal accommodations; prevent cross-contact and promptly report concerns.
• Receive, inspect, date, rotate, store, and organize food and supplies using safe storage practices and first-in, first-out procedures.
• Monitor inventory and supply levels; prepare order information or draft orders when assigned, and promptly notify the Food Service Supervisor of food, supply, or equipment needs.
• Wash, rinse, sanitize, and properly store dishes, utensils, cookware, equipment, and food-contact items.
• Clean and sanitize preparation areas, sinks, storage areas, carts, appliances, floors, and other assigned kitchen spaces; remove trash and recycling and complete routine closing tasks.
• Follow food safety, personal hygiene, temperature-control, illness-reporting, and sanitation procedures at all times.
• Report unsafe conditions, equipment problems, damaged products, shortages, suspected contamination, documentation errors, and other concerns to the supervisor promptly.
• Assist with receiving deliveries, stocking, inventory counts, special events, menu substitutions, and other production-kitchen needs.
• Attend required meetings, training, and professional development and maintain required certifications.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

CACFP Documentation and Accountability

• Complete and maintain required CACFP and kitchen documentation accurately, legibly, and on time, including food production records, menus and substitutions, meal or transport records, temperature logs, cooling and reheating logs, receiving records, cleaning and sanitation logs, inventory records, and other assigned forms.
• Record actual foods and quantities prepared, substitutions, leftovers, temperatures, and corrective actions as required; never falsify, backdate, or knowingly omit information.
• Maintain supporting documentation such as standardized recipes, product labels, Child Nutrition labels, Product Formulation Statements, ingredient information, and special-diet records as directed.
• Organize records so they are complete and available for supervisor review, monitoring visits, audits, and inspections.
• Immediately notify the Food Service Supervisor of missing records, inaccurate information, meal-pattern concerns, or any situation that may affect CACFP compliance or reimbursement.
• Protect confidential information and follow agency procedures for record storage and access.

Professionalism, Attitude, and Work Ethic

• Maintain a professional, respectful, calm, and service-oriented attitude when working with children, families, classroom staff, coworkers, vendors, and visitors.
• Demonstrate reliability by reporting to work on time, prepared for the shift, and ready to meet production and delivery schedules; follow attendance and call-out procedures.
• Accept direction, feedback, and changing priorities professionally; ask questions when instructions or requirements are unclear.
• Work cooperatively as part of a team, communicate clearly, share workload appropriately, and offer assistance when operations require it.
• Demonstrate initiative, attention to detail, organization, and pride in producing safe, high-quality meals and maintaining an orderly kitchen.
• Use respectful language and behavior, and address disagreements constructively and through appropriate supervisory channels.
• Use work time, food, supplies, equipment, and agency resources responsibly; follow established procedures even when working independently.
• Maintain confidentiality and represent the program and agency positively.
• Consistently model honesty, accountability, flexibility, dependability, and a strong work ethic.

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Experience preparing food in a commercial, institutional, school, child care, or high-volume kitchen preferred.
• Ability to read menus, recipes, labels, logs, safety instructions, and written procedures and to perform basic measurements and calculations.
• Ability to maintain accurate records and use basic email, ordering, or recordkeeping systems as assigned.
• Knowledge of safe food handling, sanitation, allergen awareness, and prevention of cross-contact, or the ability to learn these requirements promptly.
• Current Washington State Food Worker Card, or ability to obtain one within the required timeframe.
• Ability to complete required CACFP, ECEAP, food safety, civil rights, and agency training.
• Ability to communicate effectively and work respectfully with people from diverse backgrounds.

Physical and Work Environment Requirements

This position works in a busy production-kitchen environment and requires frequent standing and walking; repeated bending, reaching, lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, grasping, and repetitive hand movements; and safe use of knives, ovens, ranges, mixers, dishwashing equipment, carts, and other kitchen tools.

The employee must be able to work around heat, steam, cold storage, wet or slippery surfaces, cleaning products, food allergens, and moderate noise; wear required protective equipment; and lift and carry up to 40 pounds independently and heavier items with assistance or approved equipment.

• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Paid Leave
• Sick Leave
• Retirement Plan
• Professional Development

• Health insurance (80% employer paid,) dental and vision are provided starting the 1st day of the month following hire. Employer paid retirement plan, paid sick, personal, and holidays provided.

Child Care Action Council is a non-profit agency whose mission is to promote and nurture early learning communities where families and children thrive. We have programs to support both childcare providers and families. At a local, regional, and state level, our staff collaborate with a diverse group of individuals and organizations working on behalf of and in partnership with children and their families. Through these relationships, we are better able to address our goals for equity, inclusion and social justice. We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to building a diverse team.