The Child Care Cook provides safe, nutritious, age-appropriate meals and snacks for children enrolled in the childcare center. This position manages kitchen operations to meet ServSafe, health department, and program standards, and supports healthy eating habits and food-related education for children and staff. This position also works collaboratively with children, families, and center staff to solicit, evaluate, and incorporate feedback on menus, meal service, and food-related activities.
Plan Menus: Create seasonal menus that are nutritious, balanced, and appropriate for the center’s age groups.
Prepare and serve food: Prepare breakfast, lunch, and snacks on schedule; portion and serve meals following portion guidelines and food-safety procedures.
Follow program rules: Prepare meals that comply with federal, state, and local regulations; promote and adhere to Family Style Dining Service.
Food safety and sanitation: Maintain kitchen cleanliness, store foods safely, monitor temperatures, rotate stock, and follow health department and ServSafe standards and sanitation protocols.
Special diets and allergies: Ensure accommodations for children with allergies, medical diets, or cultural/religious needs; document substitutions and communicate with supervisors and families as required.
Inventory and purchasing: Create shopping lists, order or purchase supplies within budget, receive deliveries, and monitor inventory to reduce waste.
Recordkeeping: Maintain records for menus, temperature logs, and any program-related documentation.
Teamwork and communication: Coordinate with classroom staff and center leadership to schedule mealtime visits, assist with safe mealtime practices and Family Style Dining, and support nutrition education activities.
Gather and act on feedback: Regularly solicit input from children through age-appropriate activities (taste tests, preference charts) and from families and staff via surveys and conversations; review collected feedback monthly and adjust menus as appropriate.
Miscellaneous Responsibilities: Perform other duties as assigned and/or participate in special projects to support the mission of VCUHS and the Department. Provide assistance to team members. Accept alternate assignments, as required.
Education Required: High School
Diploma or equivalent
Education Preferred: Professional culinary training
Licensure Required: N/A
Licensure Preferred: N/A
Certification Required: ServSafe Food Manager Certification required
Certification Preferred: N/A
Years and Type of Required Experience: Two years of professional cooking experience
Other Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required: N/A
Other Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Preferred: N/A
Working Conditions: Periods of high stress and fluctuating workloads may occur. Prolonged periods of working alone.
Physical Demands: Lifting/ Carrying (0-50 lbs.), Push/ Pull (0-50 lbs.), Stoop, Kneel, Squat, Climbing, Balance, Bending
Work Position: Sitting, Walking, Standing
Physical Requirements: Manual dexterity (eye/hand coordination), Reach above shoulder, Repetitive arm/hand movements, Finger Dexterity
Hazards: N/A
Mental/Sensory: Reasoning, Problem Solving, Hearing, Speak Clearly, Reading, Logical Thinking
Emotional: Steady Pace, Able to Handle Multiple Priorities, Noisy Environment, Able to Adapt to Frequent Change
Compensation Range
$17.25 - $26.39
Actual salary offers will be based on several key factors to include relevant work experience, credentials, and qualifications.
EEO Employer/Disabled/Protected Veteran
We are a strong, passionate team of more than 12,500 who take pride in caring for every person who comes through our doors. We lift each other up so we can provide the very best and safest care to those who need us most. Together. Every day.
With the support of our university, we make up an academic medical center committed to excellence in patient care, innovation and training tomorrow’s health care workforce. We continue to educate, research and evolve – staying on the cutting edge of care.
As a community of innovators, every team member can contribute a spark of ingenuity igniting a force to discover the next cure, hold the next hand, solve the greatest challenges and create the health care of tomorrow.
We foster an atmosphere of respect and welcoming for all communities. We infuse our teams with diverse talent that inspires everyone to contribute openly and freely, maximizing their impact and creating meaningful change for our patients and community.
Join our team and help us create a new kind of patient experience. Join VCU Health.
EEO Statement:
VCU Health System strictly prohibits and does not tolerate discrimination against, or harassment of, team members, applicants, or any other covered persons because of age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex (sexual orientation, gender identity or expression and pregnancy), protected veteran status, marital status, genetic information, or any other protected characteristics under applicable federal, state, or local law.
Pay Transparency Provisions:
VCU Health System complies with the Pay Transparency Provisions.
