Paraprofessional

MISSION:

Gads Hill Center, a social service organization established in 1898, creates opportunities for children and their families to build a better life through education, access to resources and community engagement.

JOB SUMMARY:

The para-professional supports education staff in planning, organizing and implementing the curriculum and program activities to meet the individual needs of children with special needs. This individual with teaching teams and home visitors to develop visual aids and individualized activities and materials to help classrooms serve children with special needs. In addition, the para-professional supports teaching teams in providing periods of one-on-one assistance for children with special needs on an as-needed basis.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Supports education staff in ensuring the safety and well being of all children in classroom.
2. Supports education staff in implementing classroom curriculum in accordance with Head Start Standards.
3. Contributes ideas for individualizing for the specific needs of children. Supports classroom by developing visual aids or other tools to support individualization.
4. Utilizes developmental screening tools to determine individual needs of children and assists in individualizing curriculum.
5. Welcomes parents into the classroom, develops a positive relationship with them and provides experiences and activities that enhance their roles as the primary influence in their child’s growth and development.  Assists parents in identifying and fully utilizing available community resources.  Utilize the assistance of the Family Support Staff, Mental Health Consultants, and other professionals to refer parents as needed.
6. Supports teachers in maintaining order and cleanliness in the classroom.
7. Collaborates with teaching teams to provide a classroom environment that is reflective of diverse races, cultures and languages; adapt teaching in response to children’s differences.
8. Attends required monthly trainings for the Para-Professional project as directed by the  CPS/DFSS Disabilities Support Team
9. Assists teaching teams in serving meals and snacks.
10. Demonstrates knowledge of DCFS, Head Start and Preschool for All standards; implements them in all aspects of work.
11. Understands and adheres to NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and Code of Ethics.
12. Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds (average child’s weight).
13. Understands and implements the Developmental Assets model of the SEARCH Institute.

In addition to the responsibilities listed above, all Gads Hill Center employees are responsible for the following:

1. Participate in agency outreach and recruitment events, including evenings and weekends.
2. Participates in supervision meetings and workshops within the agency and outside (if applicable).
3. Participates in civic engagement activities that advance the mission of Gads Hill Center.
4. Advance parent leadership development.
5. Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. High School diploma or GED with a minimum of 6 credit hours in early childhood education required.
2. Valid Child Development Associate (CDA) credential or enrollment towards an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education strongly preferred. 
3. Six months previous direct early childhood classroom experience with low-income families preferred.
4. Experience with multi-cultural programming preferred.
5. Bi-lingual Spanish/English preferred.
6. Excellent interpersonal communication and organization skills. 
7. Ability to pass a criminal record and child abuse/neglect registry check. 
8. A passion for the mission of Gads Hill Center.

BENEFITS:

• Salary Range: $17.10 -$19.20 per hour 
• Generous Paid Time Off
• 403B Plan (Up to 5% match following 2 years of employment)
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employer Paid Short-Term/Long Term Disability
• Employer Paid Life Insurance
• Supplemental Coverage Options Available