Early Childhood Teacher

Kid Country Childcare; Manhattan (IL); On-site; USD 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Mental health days

Paid birthday off

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Free life insurance

Telehealth for household

Paid time off

9 paid holidays

Simple IRA with employer match

Childcare tuition discount

Paid training

Perfect attendance stipend

Loyalty program

Job summary

Kid Country Childcare is seeking passionate early childhood teachers to lead a classroom for children from 6 weeks to school age. You will guide a warm, structured environment, plan age-appropriate activities, observe development, and document progress.

You’ll build strong partnerships with families, mentor your assistant, and ensure a clean, safe, welcoming classroom. A high school diploma or GED plus relevant credentials or coursework is required.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• At least 19 years old with one of the following credentials or coursework.
• Either college coursework in early childhood (30–60 credit hours, incl. 6 hours in child development) or a CDA/CCP/Gateways Level 3+ credential.

Responsibilities

• Lead a classroom with warmth, consistency, and structure.
• Plan engaging, age-appropriate activities that support each child’s growth.
• Observe and document children’s development.
• Build strong, trusting partnerships with families.
• Guide and support your assistant teacher as a team.
• Keep your classroom clean, safe, and welcoming.

Skills

Lead classroom

Engaging activities

Observe growth

Family partnerships

Mentor assistant

Classroom safety

Education

High school diploma or GED

College coursework in early childhood

CDA/CCP/Gateways Level 3+ credential

Job description

Make a difference every single day. From first steps to first friendships to “I can write my name!”, our teachers get a front-row seat to the moments that matter most. We’re looking for passionate early childhood teachers to lead a classroom and help children ages 6 weeks to school-age learn, grow, and thrive.

What makes Kid Country different:

• We staff above ratio, so you have extra support in your classroom
• Mental health days, because burnout isn’t the vibe
• Paid birthday off
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Free life insurance and free telehealth for your whole household
• Paid time off and 9 paid holidays
• Simple IRA with employer match
• Childcare tuition discount
• Paid training and onboarding
• Perfect attendance stipends and a Loyalty Program

What you’ll do:

• Lead a classroom with warmth, consistency, and structure
• Plan engaging, age-appropriate activities that support each child’s growth
• Observe and document children’s development
• Build strong, trusting partnerships with families
• Guide and support your assistant teacher as a team
• Keep your classroom clean, safe, and welcoming

What you’ll need:

You’re at least 19 with a high school diploma or GED, plus one of the following:

• College coursework in early childhood (30–60 credit hours, including 6 hours in child development)
• A CDA, CCP, or Gateways Level 3+ credential

At Kid Country, we show up for each other through HEART, DEDICATION, SUPPORT, HUMOR, and COMMUNITY, and our children feel it every day.