Early Head Start Teacher

Deadline to apply: August 5, 2026

The Frederick YMCA is here to support our community in living healthier lives, strengthening family bonds and improving our overall community. We do this great work by providing programs and memberships targeted towards youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. If this work appeals to you, we'd love to have you join the Frederick YMCA family.


POSITION SUMMARY:

This position supports the work of the Y, a leading nonprofit committed to strengthening community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. This position is responsible for the direction and overall supervision of a group of infants (6 weeks to 3 years). Performs activities that ensure the health, safety, involvement, and creativity of each individual in the group. Works with team teachers to plan, discuss, and implement daily plans in accordance to the current curriculum, incorporating the Maryland State Department of Education Early Learning Standards.

BENEFITS:

We offer an extensive benefits package for our full-time employees which includes:

• Free Household Membership
• Medical Dental & Vision
• Life insurance
• Short and Long Term Disability
• Retirement benefits will vest at 12% after 2 years of employment
• Discount on childcare and other Y programs
• Paid Time Off
• Bereavement leave

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Extensive knowledge and skills in the field of early childhood development.
• Knowledge of the basics of supervision.
• Knowledge of the state and federal regulations pertaining to child abuse and neglect and child care licensing requirements.
• Knowledge of local resources, languages, and customs helpful.

• Ability to communicate ideas and instructions orally and in writing. Ability to speak, read, and write English well enough to understand and be understood by others.
• Ability to write reports and business correspondence.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general procedures and program generated data.
• Ability to speak before groups of individuals.
• Bilingual fluency (English/Spanish) preferred.

• Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide.
• Ability to calculate figur e s and amounts such as discounts and percentages.
• Ability to produce and interpret graphs, charts, spreadsheets and other mathematical reports.

• Ability to define problems, collects data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.
• Ability to interpret an extensive variety of instructions.
• Ability to summarize conclusions and instructions, then make recommendations and develop implementation strategies.

• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality at all times, including the ability to recognize situations in which confidentiality is required.
• Ability to exhibit patience and tact when communicating with children, families, staff, management, referral sources and the public.
• Ability to project professionalism in conducting daily activities.
• This position will have intermediate to advanced knowledge of programs maintained and used by the organization, including, but not limited to Microsoft Office, Teaching Strategies GOLD, and online training courses.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Attends all training and workshops as required by licensing, credentialing, and Head Start Performance Standards, to include:
   1. Remains up-to-date on information that pertains to the needs of the children in the program including Head Start Performance Standards
   2. Childcare licensing regulations and other applicable regulations and practices.
2. Works in cooperation with teaching team members to assure the individual needs of each child is met as the situation demands.
   1. Meets the physical and emotional needs of each child.
   2. Satisfies the developmental needs of each child through child/adult interactions and planned activities.
   3. Ensure that the classroom is prepared before children arrive, cleaned at the end of each shift, and staff give undivided attention, watching carefully for safety hazards throughout the day.
   4. Greets each child and parents daily.
3. Develops an individual plan for each child to include goal setting based on identified needs including r objectives and activities to meet established goals (outcomes). (Teaching Strategies GOLD)
4. Schedules home visits and parent-teacher conferences with families as required and on an as-needed basis and documents these events.
5. Maintains strict confidentiality with respect to children, families and staff in accordance with established policies and procedures.
6. Prepares and maintains a safe, healthy learning environment for children that is positive, developmentally appropriate and reflects the programs' curriculum. (CLASS, Creative Curriculum, Accreditation etc.)
7. Communicates any special individual child needs to the appropriate manager, and meets as needed with program specialists, consultants, and therapists working with the children and parents.
8. Plans and prepares daily lesson plans weekly that will provide for learning experiences that advances the intellectual and physical development of children, reflective of the Head Start Early Learning Framework, Creative Curriculum, and the program's School Readiness goals.
9. Supports social and emotional development and provides positive guidance and discipline.
10. Participates in IEP/IFSP meetings for children, collaborates with LEA, and communicates with specialists, therapists, and others as needed.
11. Maintains a commitment to professionalism and continues own professional development so that decisions are based on knowledge of early childhood theories and practices.
12. Shares pertinent information with family services to ensure coordinated services that meet the needs of individual children and families.
13. Develops transition plans for children entering/exiting the program in coordination with Family Services staff, and participates in transition activities as outlined in the program's School Readiness Goals.
14. Screens, observes and documents children as required.
15. Reviews child outcome data regularly.
16. Supervises or orders supplies as needed and takes inventory as requested.
17. Submits bills and reports to the main Head Start office as scheduled.
18. Gathers and maintains individual, family and classroom data for documentation, on-going assessment, evaluation and recordkeeping for successful individual and program planning.
19. Inputs child assessment/observation data into the data tracking system (CC GOLD), and generates progress reports (individual and classroom level) on a regular basis; uses this information to plan instruction.
20. Maintain individual child portfolios utilizing GOLD as required.
21. Is familiar with the Head Start Parent, Family, and Community Engagement Framework and sets up a system to assure program's needs for parent engagement in each classroom are met.
22. Establishes positive and productive relationships with families focusing on a relationship of trust, respect, professionalism and rapport with the parents of the children.
23. Participates in the orientation of parents to Head Start throughout the year.
24. Facilitates and supports monthly Parent Committee meetings at the center, in coordination with the Family Advocates.
25. Participates in the training of parents as requested.
26. Involves parents in the educational activities of the program:
    1. to emphasize their role as the principal influence on the child's education and development; and
    2. to assist parents to increase their knowledge, understanding, skills and experience in basic child development.
27. Identifies and arranges for parents to participate as volunteers in the classroom and work as substitutes as well as other volunteer activities.
28. Collects monthly in-kind records from parents participating and submits to local Head Start administrative office.
29. Writes a classroom newsletter monthly and provides center news for the program newsletter as requested.
30. Encourages the involvement of the families in the program and supports the development of relationships between children and their families.

QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS:

1. Must be 18 years of age.
2. Child Development Associate (CDA), or Associate degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or comparable credential.
3. Minimum of 1 year of experience in the field of early childhood education.
4. Approval by Office of Child Care as an approved/qualified Infant/Toddler Teacher, Director qualified preferred.

YMCA CERTIFICATES/TRAININGS:

• Blood borne Pathogen Training
• Code of Conduct Training
• Active Supervision Training
• CPR, AED, and First Aid Certifications
• Acceptable screening results to include comprehensive background check and initial health exam
• Must have a valid driver's license and be insurable by the YMCA insurance carrier and have a Motor Vehicle Record acceptable to the YCMA.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

1. Occasional need to provide gentle physical restraint to children.
2. Ability to walk, stand, and sit (including on the floor) for long periods of time.
3. Exposure to communicable diseases and bodily fluids.
4. Must be able to lift and/or assist children up to 50 pounds in weight.
5. Position may require bending, leaning, kneeling, and walking.
6. Ability to speak concisely and effectively communicate.
7. Visual and auditory ability to respond to critical situations and physical ability to act swiftly in an emergency
8. Noise level in work environment may be moderate to loud
9. Work is typically performed in a classroom setting and some office work is required.
10. Evenings and weekend work are required.