Occupational Therapist, Child Development Services

Wayfinder Family Services; San Leandro (CA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO & Holidays

Healthcare (Medical, Dental, Vision)

401(k) with employer match

Tuition assistance

PSLF eligible

FSA plans

Referral program

Loan forgiveness option

Job summary

Wayfinder Family Services in California is seeking an Early Intervention Occupational Therapist to work with children from birth to three in their homes and daily environments. You will support daily living skills, movement, and sensory processing, helping families weave therapy into everyday life.

You will collaborate with families and interdisciplinary teams to develop IFSPs, monitor progress, and connect families with medical, educational, and community resources. CA licensure is required.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in occupational therapy from an accredited program.
• California OT license is required.
• Minimum one year of experience with infants/children preferred.
• Valid CA Driver License with three years of driving history.

Responsibilities

• Provide meaningful, individualized occupational therapy in the child’s natural environment.
• Collaborate with families to embed therapeutic strategies into daily routines.
• Support infants and toddlers with motor delays, sensory challenges, and related needs.
• Develop and implement IFSPs with interdisciplinary teams.
• Provide progress updates and ensure services meet regional center or school district requirements.
• Guide families in accessing medical, educational, and community resources.
• Advocate with parents to navigate systems of care.

Education

Master’s degree in occupational therapy

California OT license

Job description

At Wayfinder Family Services, we understand the unique challenges facing some of our state’s most vulnerable children, youth and adults. Those with disabilities, those without a home of their own, those who have been abused and many, many more. We answer the call for them. We believe in the amazing potential in, and for, each and every one of them. And, together, we find a way to turn that potential into reality.

Program And Role Summary

As an Early Intervention Occupational Therapist, you will serve children from birth to three years old during their most formative years. You will support daily living skills, movement, sensory processing, play, and participation, not in a clinic, but in the places where life actually happens - the child’s homes. During the earliest, most critical years of development, we help children build foundational skills that shape a lifetime of learning and independence.

But this work isn’t just about milestones.

It’s about helping a parent feel confident for the first time.

It’s about celebrating a child’s first reach, first grasp, first independent step.

It’s about teaching families how to advocate fiercely and effectively for their child’s future.

Early intervention changes trajectories, not just for children, but for entire families.

Our goal is for our Occupational Therapists to support cases closest to one regional center and maintain the flexibility to support other areas, if needed.

The salary range reasonably expected for this position is $95,000 - $110,000.

What You’ll Do

• Provide meaningful, individualized occupational therapy in the child’s natural environment.
• Partner with families to embed therapeutic strategies into daily routines - mealtime, bath time, playtime, and beyond.
• Support infants and toddlers experiencing motor delays, atypical tone, global developmental delays, sensory challenges, and/or vision loss.
• Promote growth across all domains, including:
  • Self-help and adaptive skills
  • Fine and gross motor development
  • Postural control and mobility
  • Sensory integration
  • Play, behavior, and oral motor functioning
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to develop and implement Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs).
• Provide thoughtful progress updates and ensure services meet Regional Center or school district requirements.
• Guide families in accessing medical, educational, and community resources.
• Advocate alongside parents so they feel confident navigating systems of care.

Who Thrives Here

If you’re ready to use your expertise to change the course of a child’s life, and to stand beside families as they discover what’s possible, we’d love to meet you.

• Believe therapy is most powerful when it’s woven into everyday life.
• Value connection as much as clinical excellence.
• See parents as partners, not bystanders, in intervention.
• Are energized by early development and the rapid growth of the first three years.
• Want your work to matter deeply, every single day.

Qualifications

Education and Experience

• Master’s degree in occupational therapy from an accredited occupational therapy program.
• California occupational therapy state licensure is required.
• Minimum one year of experience as an occupational therapist, working with infants/children preferred.
• Valid CA Driver License with a minimum of three (3) years good driving history and must be approved by the agency’s insurance carrier to drive agency vehicles.

Benefits

• Paid Time Off: Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) policy, 11 paid holidays, plus five winter holidays
• Medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match up to 4%
• Employee referral program: Encourage your colleagues to join us
• Education tuition assistance program: Invest in your career development
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligible
• Flexible spending account (FSA) plans
• Eligibility and other benefits are outlined in plan documents

Additional Benefits Offered For This Role

• Training and professional development

Wayfinder Family Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We support a drug-free workplace and conduct pre-employment background and drug screenings.