YWCA Helena Mission: YWCA Helena is committed to preventing homelessness, providing safe and supportive housing for women and children experiencing homelessness, and providing services that restore hope, self-sufficiency, and happy, healthy lives. Together with YWCA USA and YWCA?s across the country, we are dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Job Summary: A crucial and integral component of YWCA Helena?s work includes the Caterpillars Center. Caterpillars was established to offer respite childcare for women working on their recovery and self-sufficiency. It became evident that about 70% of the women YWCA served either had children who were in their custody or with whom they wished to reunite. Today that number is at nearly 100%. Caterpillars now serves as the parenting support for women in recovery, provides supervised parenting time for non-custodial parents, facilitates safe exchanges, and provides parenting coaching and classes as well as children?s mental health services. Our newest venture is the establishment of a trauma informed and responsive licensed childcare facility. The Caterpillars Lead Caregiver will be the primary provider of day-to-day care for children aged 0-12 years who have experienced trauma, exhibit challenging behaviors, and may be unable to participate in typical community-based childcare. Utilizing consultation from child behavioral health specialists and developmental assessments, the Caterpillars Early Childhood Lead Caregiver will be responsible for structuring child-centered, engaging, and educational programming for children who have experienced trauma. They will assist in supervision, support, and daily direction of assistant caregivers in their classroom. This position will be an instrumental team member to a multidisciplinary and holistic team at the YWCA. The Childcare team will facilitate an ongoing approach to align YWCA Helena?s effort to prioritize children and their mental and physical health with the recovery stages of their parent experiencing SUD. Minimum of an Associate?s Degree in Child Development or related field from an accredited university is required. A minimum of two (2) years? experience in an early childhood program, licensed childcare facility, Head Start, or similar program is required. Must be at least 18 years of age and a level 2 or higher on the Early Childhood Practitioner Registry (ECP). Current on all required immunizations, First Aid and CPR, and pass a criminal background check. Childcare Services: - Ensure a safe, happy, and stimulating environment for children. - Help children discover new interests by introducing them to art, music, sports, and other potential hobbies. - Provide daily care for children, such as setting schedules and routines, hygiene, feeding, changing diapers, and cleaning rooms and toys. - Facilitate and administer regularly scheduled developmental and social-emotional assessments. - Collaborate with parents to help their children progress towards educational and behavioral goals, communicate and partner with parents regarding their children and the center?s policies, and develop and monitor individual goal plans based on parent input and developmental assessment. - In coordination with the Caterpillars team, develop age-appropriate learning and socialization opportunities, manage and coordinate curricula, and prepare children to enter the next level of care or for entry into school. - Complete ongoing training and courses to remain up to date on state childcare standards and procedures. - Ensure that center facilities are safe for children and comply with laws and regulations - Respect and maintain confidentiality and adhere to strict boundaries and professional ethics. Teams - Works as a partner in a multidisciplinary program/therapeutic team. - Works closely with the Caterpillars therapeutic team to build recommendations. - Communicates assessme ts and treatment plan to the parent?s treatment team. - Participates in discipline specific, as well as interdisciplinary staff meetings and functions. - Acts as an advocate representing perspectives relative to the parent-child relationship. - Adhere to YWCA Helena ethics and values. Other - Attends meetings as assigned by the Caterpillars Supervisor and Director. - Other Duties as assigned. Job Qualifications A belief in the mission of YWCA Helena and positive attitude toward YWCA Clients will be the most important key to success. Attitudes, unlike skill sets, generally can?t be taught. Must believe in the shared humanity of all people, go the extra mile for someone in need, be willing to give someone the benefit of the doubt, treat each person as an individual and foster a return to independence, not greater dependence. In addition to the above characteristics ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications: - Ability to identify problems and show initiative to develop and implement solutions. - Keen understanding of poverty along with an understanding of trauma and how trauma presents in choices and interactions. - Knowledge of Circle of Security or willingness to learn Circle of Security. - Ability to communicate well with parents and children. - Ability to approach all parents with compassion and understanding. - Ability to intervene and respond quickly in crisis situations and have proven conflict resolution and de-escalation skills. - Knowledge about and/or experience working with children who have been exposed to trauma and/or who are at-risk of trauma exposure is a plus. - Experience working with survivors and victims of sexual and domestic violence is a plus. - Experience working with homeless individuals and families is a plus. - Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form. - Proficiency in Microsoft suite of programs. - Must be insurable and provide own transportation, work-related passenger vehicle operation may be necessary. - Ability to lift at least 50 pounds. - Ability to work both independently with minimal supervision as well as cooperatively and part of the YWCA team. - Ability to organize and prioritize workload. - Excellent interpersonal, written, verbal, and communication skills. - Demonstrated professionalism, integrity, and ethical behavior with regard to confidentiality as well as in matters concerning coworkers. - Ability to write reports and business correspondence. - A commitment to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. A background check is required for all staff at YWCA Helena. YWCA Helena Mission: YWCA Helena is committed to preventing homelessness, providing safe and supportive housing for women and children experiencing homelessness, and providing services that restore hope, self-sufficiency, and happy, healthy lives. Together with YWCA USA and YWCA?s across the country, we are dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Job Summary: A crucial and integral component of YWCA Helena?s work includes the Caterpillars Center. Caterpillars was established to offer respite childcare for women working on their recovery and self-sufficiency. It became evident that about 70% of the women YWCA served either had children who were in their custody or with whom they wished to reunite. Today that number is at nearly 100%. Caterpillars now serves as the parenting support for women in recovery, provides supervised parenting time for non-custodial parents, facilitates safe exchanges, and provides parenting coaching and classes as well as children?s mental health services. Our newest venture is the establishment of a trauma informed and responsive licensed childcare facility. The Caterpillars Lead Caregiver will be the primary provider of day-to-day care for children aged 0-12 years who ha