Hours per week: 40 hours/week (1.0 FTE), non-exempt, Monday – Friday, 7:30 am – 4:30 pm
Supervised by: Therapeutic Early Childhood Program (TECP) Supervisor
Location: Eugene, Oregon
Starting wage range: $25.68 – $29.61, depending on qualifications
Bonus: $1,000 bonus for Step 9 or above in the ORO system
Overview
Relief Nursery provides comprehensive family support services that are easily accessible to families who are raising children birth through five years of age and who are experiencing high levels of stress. We provide early intervention that centers on building successful and resilient children and strengthening parents. Our staff work as a team to provide a unique array of support, from therapeutic classrooms and outreach programs, to parenting education, substance use disorder recovery support and more.
We are currently hiring a Bilingual Teacher/Home Visitor in our Therapeutic Early Childhood Program to support Spanish-speaking children and families. This position will be based in our Preschool Promise classroom and perform a dual role of classroom teacher and home visitor. This classroom runs four days per week, six hours per day.
The teacher role requires integration of the following: children’s individual and group goals; physical environment; routine; curriculum; classroom relationships; screening/assessment; readiness to learn standards and individual family issues to ensure therapeutic, developmentally appropriate experiences for the children.
The home visiting role requires fostering parent-child attachment; providing support and information for parenting; supporting and monitoring the child’s development and well-being (including safety); enhancing problem-solving skills; reducing and ameliorating risk factors and enhancing protective factors. Appropriate documentation accompanies all responsibilities in these dual roles.
Responsibilities
Therapeutic Classroom
- Create and maintain a therapeutic, developmentally appropriate early child classroom environment for children 6 years and younger that supports all areas of children’s development and meets all relevant therapeutic and certification standards
- Develop children’s individual goals in consideration of screening/assessment information, child observations and analysis and information about the home environment/parent-child interactions
- Update children’s individual goals regularly, based upon weekly observations and integrate into curriculum planning, adult-child interactions in the classroom and the design of the physical environment
- Plan and adapt curriculum informally daily and formally weekly with teaching assistant to reflect all relevant child goals, information and issues
- Conduct screening/assessments at appropriate intervals
- Ensure that all required documentation/paperwork is completed, shared with appropriate individuals and stored according to Relief Nursery policy and professional standards
- Communicate information about the children’s goals and guidance around appropriate child/adult and child/child interactions to all adults participating in the therapeutic classroom in order to ensure consistency around approach and experiences for the children
Teaching Team
- Conduct weekly planning meetings for no less than one hour with co-teacher and other relevant team members (e.g., supervisor, mental health counselor, special education specialist, volunteer coordinator, etc.)
- Collaborate with the co-teacher to plan meaningful curriculum, arrange the physical environment and debrief issues/challenges on a daily basis. Balance responsibility with co-teacher for curriculum planning, preparation, adaptation, and daily set up of the physical environment of the classroom, and other relevant activities
- Serve as a role model and provide support to less experienced staff as your experience and knowledge grows
- Clean and tidy playground areas as assigned
Home Visiting
- Schedule and conduct home visits no less than once/month per child (except during the month when parent-conferences occur and vacation schedule limits access) in order to support parent’s achieving/maintaining a healthy home environment for the child, foster positive parent-child interaction and monitor relevant safety issues/concerns
- Maintain contact with families by phone to supplement home visits as needed
- Complete home visit documentation reflecting professional standards on a weekly basis
- Implement approaches that include sharing information through collaborative discussions & resources; modeling appropriate interactions through emergent opportunities & planned parent-child activities; providing empathetic support & facilitating problem solving
Other
- Complete all required documentation and paperwork in accordance with Relief Nursery, Child Care Division and other relevant standards and requirements
- Debrief as appropriate with all relevant specialists, including but not limited to the special education and mental health consultants
- Participate in no less than 24 hours of approved training per year and maintain current training certification as required
- Participate in reflective supervision sessions with supervisor for no less than 1 time per month and more often as needed in order to discuss cases, reviews files and ensure the achievement of appropriate therapeutic child experiences, family support and child-safety monitoring and all appropriate documentation
- Complete Relief Nursery bus and van training. Occasional driving of buses or vans will be required to transport children to and from Relief Nursery in the absence of the regular driver
- Complete front desk training and fill at the front desk on an occasional basis
- Participate as a team member in all staff meetings, teacher meetings, site meetings, collaborative groups, group supervision, special projects including but not limited to Relief Nursery projects, special family events and other opportunities
- Conduct job responsibilities in accordance with the NAEYC code of ethics, professional boundaries, confidentiality, and strength-based interactions
- Act in accordance with responsibilities and protocols set forth in Oregon Child Abuse Reporting laws and Relief Nursery policy
- Perform other relevant duties as assigned
Minimum Qualifications
We recognize that strong candidates may come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. If you are passionate about this work and meet most of the qualifications, we encourage you to apply.
- Bilingual in English and Spanish and experience and knowledge of Hispanic/Latinx families and culture
- Qualifications include:
a. Bachelor’s degree in education, family services, early childhood education or related field with early childhood teaching experience; or
b. A combination of associate’s degree, Oregon Step Registry level 9 or higher and appropriate experience; or
c. A Bachelor’s degree in a field other than child development or early childhood education and Oregon Step Registry level 9 or higher and appropriate experience; or
d. Commitment to meet Oregon Registry Online advancement requirements. Employees must achieve Step 6 within two years of hire and continue required advancement. Progress is the employee’s responsibility and requires professional development outside scheduled work hours. - Experience supporting children and families experiencing poverty, stress, and other barriers
- Ability to write professionally
- Valid driver’s license with acceptable driving record/insurance coverage
- Current Pediatric First Aid/CPR and Food Handler’s cards or willingness to obtain upon hire
- Demonstrated ability to work as a team member, understand developmentally appropriate early childhood practices, and child guidance techniques consistent with a therapeutic approach
- Personal cell phone that can be used to communicate with teaching team, families, and other staff as needed
Preferred Qualifications
Preferred qualifications refer to job-related education or training, experience, and skills that are beneficial, but not a requirement for the position.
- At least 1 year paid employment as a teacher in an early learning classroom and/or supporting families through home visiting
Daily Schedule
The schedule below outlines a typical day for a Preschool Promise Teacher/Home Visitor. Classrooms operate Monday through Thursday. Fridays are shorter workdays that provide dedicated time for paperwork, home visits, training, collaboration, and curriculum planning. Any adjustments to this schedule should be made in support of the needs of the families being served.
7:30 to 7:45 am Check email or work on documentation as time allows.
7:45 to 8:00 am Meet with your team in the classroom to set up and plan for the day, including division of responsibilities and implementation of activities. Follow the weekly plan and prepare three (3) activity centers so children have choices in how to start their day. Make a plan with volunteers as they arrive.
8:00 to 8:15 am Supervisor or mentor will check in – this is a time to share any concerns or updates. One team member greets families in the lobby and gathers children from the bus. Others remain in the classroom to welcome children while another is on the floor modeling play.
8:15 am Classes begin.
10:20 to 10:40 am 10 minute break (time may vary depending on drills, staffing, etc.)
12:00 to 1:00 pm 30 minute paid meal break for each classroom teacher.
2:40 pm Begin end-of-day transition and prepare children to go home.
2:45 to 2:55 pm Classes end. Greet families and guide children to transportation.
3:00 to 3:20 pm Daily debriefing and classroom clean up. Each classroom is responsible for playground clean up once per week.
3:20 to 4:30 pm Check email, make calls, complete documentation, schedule or conduct home visits, attend meetings and trainings, and finish other tasks as needed. End time varies based on program and family needs.
Physical Requirements
- Ability to frequently stand, walk, kneel, sit on the floor or in child-sized chairs, lift and carry children up to a certain weight (up to approximately 40 pounds), bend, reach, and sometimes run to respond to emergencies, all while maintaining a high level of alertness and physical stamina to engage with young children throughout the day; this may also include good vision and hearing for observing children’s behavior and interactions
Annual Benefits for Employees
Relief Nursery employees working 30 or more hours per week enjoy a generous benefits package as well as of being a part of an organization that makes the world a safer and better place.
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage (very low employee cost)
- Flexible Spending Account
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- 403(b) retirement plan with employer match
- 8 days of paid sick leave per year
- 5 weeks of paid vacation leave per year (must be taken during the scheduled school district winter break, school district spring break, plus two scheduled weeks in August)
- 2 days paid personal leave per year (add 1 additional day per each 5 years worked)
- Paid Holidays
- Mileage reimbursement
- Opportunity for internal growth and promotion, including access to professional development and training opportunities
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) qualifying employer
Interested applicants, please email resume and cover letter to:
Lindsey Steele, Director of Administration and Human Resources
hr@reliefnursery.org
Pre-employment drug screen, criminal background check, DMV check, and proof of auto insurance required. Position will remain open until filled.
Relief Nursery is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Drug-Free Workplace
