Child Development Specialist - AZ STEPS

A positive future for every child

Southwest Human Development is Arizona’s largest nonprofit dedicated to early childhood development. The first five years of life are the most critical in a child’s development. At Southwest Human Development, our services improve lives and help families by supporting young children and their caregivers during this important time.

Your skills, experience, and passion are needed at one of the nation’s largest nonprofits dedicated to early childhood development. Join our team and experience a long-term career which brings joy and satisfaction in knowing you make a difference. We offer over 40 programs and services to more than 140,000 children.

Why choose us?

• Make an impact in a child’s life by promoting child health and development.
• Be rewarded with a rich benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, and wellness plans, 401(k) matching every paycheck, and generous paid time off.
• Opportunities for continued professional growth and development.
• Supportive and collaborative work environment.

Job title: Child Development Specialist - AZ STEPS

The Child Development Specialist provides training, consultation, and technical assistance to early education and childcare programs to promote positive behavior supports and prevent expulsion. This role partners closely with early childhood professionals and families to strengthen social-emotional development, build caregiver capacity, and support young children’s emotional well-being through a relationship-based, consultative approach aligned with the agency’s mission.

In this role you will:

• Provide consultation, coaching, and technical assistance to early education and childcare providers focused on positive behavior supports and expulsion prevention
• Collaborate with educators, childcare staff, and families to promote children’s social-emotional development and emotional wellness
• Support children’s emotional regulation, coping skills, adaptive functioning, and social competence through early intervention strategies
• Build caregiver and provider capacity using a strengths-based, relationship-centered approach
• Deliver training and resources to enhance understanding of child development, behavior, and trauma-informed practices
• Partner with families to support consistent strategies across home and childcare environments
• Ensure services are delivered in alignment with the agency’s mission and values, emphasizing emotional wellness for young children in DES-contracted childcare programs

What it takes:

• Bachelor’s, or higher, in Early Childhood Education, Education, Family Studies, Child Development, Counseling, or a related field
• Experience working with young children in classroom settings
• Infant Mental Health knowledge preferred
• Knowledge of code of ethics (NASW, ACA, NAEYC) preferred
• Possess an insured & reliable vehicle and a valid AZ driver’s license
• Valid Arizona Fingerprint Clearance Card - OR - must qualify for a valid Arizona Level One Fingerprint Clearance Card
• DES Criminal Affidavit Required
• AZ DHS Criminal History Affidavit Required
• FPC DPS Verification Required

SWHD takes the health and safety of our employees and the communities we serve very seriously. We strongly believe vaccination is a critical safety measure to protect each of us and the communities we serve. COVID vaccinations have proven to be highly effective at protecting people from getting COVID-19 or from getting severely ill from it.

Learn more!

Our core values embody Southwest Human Development’s commitment to services that uplift the lives of children, families and other care providers, and the communities in which they live. These values are intended to guide the professional development, ethical conduct, and skilled practice of all our staff, whatever their specific role within the agency. All staff are valued as making essential contributions to strengthening the foundation that Arizona’s children need for a great start in life. Learn more about our values and benefits here.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities


This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.
For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.