Center Assistant

Jefferson-Franklin-Community-Action-Corporation

De Soto (MO)

On-site

USD 18,082 - 25,753

Full time

4 days ago

Be an early applicant

Get more replies from employers

Send a job-specific resume in minutes.

Benefits offered by this job

On-site

Full-Time schedule

Benefits-eligible

Paid Holidays

Insurance (Medical, Dental, Vision)

Job summary

Jefferson Franklin Community Action Corporation seeks a Center Assistant for its Head Start program. This on-site role supports daily center operations and helps teachers maintain a safe, engaging learning environment for children.

You will assist with classroom activities, family engagement, health and safety, and documentation while pursuing ongoing professional development. A high school diploma and 1–2 years of childcare experience are required.

Qualifications

High School Diploma or equivalent is required and must be verified.
Willingness to submit to criminal background screenings.
1–2 years of childcare experience preferred, especially with low-income families.

Responsibilities

Support daily classroom activities and maintain High Scope-aligned learning environments.
Assist the teacher with lesson plans, documentation, and assessments of children.
Engage families, coordinate with coaches, and promote safety and health standards.
Participate in training, meetings, and team coaching to improve teaching practices.
Perform additional duties at the site as needed to ensure center operations.

Skills

Childcare experience

Team collaboration

Observation skills

Communication

Education

High School Diploma/GED/HiSet

Job description

Incorporated in 1965, Jefferson Franklin Community Action Corporation (JFCAC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to assisting low-income individuals, and families, achieve self-sufficiency through quality programs in Jefferson and Franklin Counties. We are a federal, state, and locally funded Community Action Agency.

JFCAC offers a variety of impactful programs for eligible individuals and families, from early childhood education, rental and utility assistance to home upgrades that improve energy efficiency and creates safer living environments.

To carry out our mission and expand our impact, we are seeking a dedicated individual to step into an important role within our Head Start Program -Center Assistant.

This is a fully on-site role supporting daily center operations.

In this role, you will be part of a team that helps children build important skills for learning and growing. Your work helps the center run smoothly, and ensures every child is cared for and supported in a safe, structured environment.

As a Center Assistant, you support Teachers so they can focus on teaching, while also helping meet the daily needs of the children. This makes you an important part of both the classroom and the overall success of the center as well as the Head Start program.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Center Assistant has the responsibility of providing assistance in daily classroom activities to ensure high-quality early learning experiences for children in the classroom setting, thus preparing them to have a solid foundation for school readiness. Maintain a general knowledge of the Head Start Performance Standards and comply with the standards.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

School Readiness:
- Integrates the High Scope curricula into daily practice, using effective strategies to guide children's learning.
- Assists in Preparing the classroom environment and materials to support developmentally appropriate lesson plans and learning experiences.
- Assists in documenting observations and ongoing assessments for each child, review assessment data, and adjust teaching practices to support each child's unique learning style.
- Engages with the teaching team in collaborative lesson planning, taking on duties and tasks as needed based on children's needs.
- Collaborate with the Teacher to ensure appropriate curriculum and lesson plan modifications are in place to meet children's IFSP/IEP goals.
Family Engagement and Community Partnerships:
- Provide an atmosphere that promotes and reinforces family and volunteer engagement.
- Support the role of families as the first and primary teachers of their children.
- Maintain regular communication with families regarding child's development.
- Assist in attending required parent conferences and home visits as needed for the purpose of sharing screening and assessment information and developing shared goals and strategies with the family to support child's growth and development in both the home and class setting.
- Help plan and participate in family activity events.
- Coordinate with the Family Coach as needed to assist families in completing health follow ups as needed.
- Provide learning opportunities for dual-language learning in the home and classroom setting as appropriate.
Health and Safety:
- Observe and monitor children at all times, following all agency policies and procedures regarding child health and safety.
- Maintain a clean and sanitary learning environment, ensuring all indoor and outdoor equipment and toys are sanitized as required per state licensing standards.
- Check indoor and outdoor equipment and toys regularly to ensure all items are in good condition and report items that are in need of repair.
- Assist in the development of the daily zoning chart, and follow the tasks and duties assigned to ensure proper supervision throughout the day.
- Monitor child safety, document and report any injuries and incidents, following agency policies and procedures.
- Understand and follow all health and safety policies and procedures for reducing illnesses in the classroom.
- Follow policies and procedures to ensure children are released only to individuals with appropriate signed consent.
- Monitor and report any suspected child abuse and/or neglect.
Documentation:
- Utilize agency tools for ongoing assessment and documentation.
- Ensure all federal, local, state, and/or agency documentation is completed accurately.
- Assist in documenting attendance and meal counts in the agency database.
Professional Development:
- Attend and participate in training and professional development activities.
- Attend and participate in meetings.
- Engage in team and/or individualized coaching meetings, self-reflecting on teaching practices and solution-based problem-solving strategies.
Additional Duties:
- Support other staff as needed at designated site (including, but not limited to kitchen, cleaning, clerical duties, or other duties as assigned)
- Report to non-designated locations as needed.
- Perform other duties as assigned based on program need.