Job Description

The Child and Youth Program Leader position is responsible for managing a childcare center or annex ensuring appropriate, developmental supervised childcare and instruction for children and youth ranging from 5 years to 12 years of age and supervising other Armed Services YMCA Child and Youth Professionals.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provides care and supervision, oversight, and accountability for children and youth participants in accordance with Armed Services YMCA and applicable federal and state laws, including:
  • Maintains control of and accounts for whereabouts and safety of participants at all times while in care.
  • Ensures participants depart with authorized persons.
  • Supervises participants during daily schedule of indoor and outdoor activities and on field trips, outings, and special events.
  • Interacts with participants using approved child guidance and youth development techniques.
  • Promotes and models safety, fitness, health, and nutrition practices.
• Develops, implements and leads planned activities and special events that meet the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive needs of participants:
  • Incorporates special instructions provided by parents such as special dietary needs, physical needs, or other information may affect the child or youth’s experience in the program.
  • Demonstrates, instructs, leads and facilities planned and spontaneous program activities.
  • Prepares and implements program options for participants with special needs.
  • Observes participants and documents developmental progression and/or concerns.
• Responsible for the supervision of employees and volunteers:
  • Mentors subordinate employees including providing training and modeling appropriate behaviors and techniques for working with children and youth.
  • Assists in establishing local performance standards for employees and volunteers using established standards and requirements and assists Branch Child and Youth Director with employee performance evaluations by providing input.
  • Assists the Branch Child and Youth Director with the proper and timely initiation and implementation of personnel actions and supports the Branch Child and Youth Director in order to assure quality related to selection, assignments, training, promotions, disciplinary actions, and recognition of employees and volunteers.
  • Assists with the resolution of complaints related to personnel and makes recommendations to the CYP Director for corrective action as necessary.
• Prepares, arranges, and maintains indoor and outdoor activity areas and materials to accommodate daily schedules. Ensures supplies, equipment, and facilities are secured when not in use.
• Ensures participants are provided with appropriate snacks or meals.
• Observes program participants for signs that may indicate illness, abuse, or neglect and reports as directed.
• Provides parents with regular verbal or written feedback about their children and youth and program activities.
• Interacts professionally with other Armed Services YMCA employees and volunteers, parents, children and youth, and other organizations.
• Notifies Branch Child and Youth Director of health, fire, and safety compliance that can not be remedied independently.
• Collects, maintains, and reports program participation data, ensuring accuracy before providing to Branch Child and Youth Director.
• Routine day-to-day assignments are normally performed independently with technical assistance available from Branch Child and Youth Director when required.
• Required to transport ASYMCA equipment, paperwork, snacks, etc. in your personal vehicle.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications/Conditions of Employment:

• All candidates must have a high school diploma or equivalent and must be able to read, write, and speak English.
• Associate Degree or higher in Childhood development/education
• Candidates must meet county, state, or federal for employment.
• Candidates must be able to continually and successfully pass background and reference checks with no derogatory findings that would prohibit them from working with children and youth in accordance with applicable county, state, or federal law.
• Candidates may be required to complete pre/post-employment physicals.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 3 years experience working with children and youth in a childcare setting or other related experience.
• Current CPR/First Aid certification.
• A Child Development Associate (CDA) credential or Military School-Age (MSA) credential or 2-year degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE), Child Development or related field of study, which can include Youth Recreation, Physical Education, Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Youth Development, Psychology, Social Work, Home Economics with an emphasis in Human Development, or other degrees as appropriate.
• A combination of work experience, training and education may be equivalent to degree requirement including completion of Department of Defense Child and Youth training modules.

Physical Requirements/Working Conditions:

The following physical demands must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job:

The work requires considerable walking, standing, bending, stooping and lifting up to 50 pounds. Activities may require incumbent to drive an ASYMCA vehicle to transport children. However, most of the work is done in a classroom setting or activity areas (both indoor and outdoor) and no special physical demands are made upon the incumbent.

The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of a wide variety of child and youth activities, programs, and services. Activities, programs, and services are conducted in a building or outside and are suitable for children and youth. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.