Child Development Specialist - PM

Job Title: Child Development Specialist

Department: Children’s Services

Reports to: Children’s Services Manager

Supervises: None

Hours/Shifts: 2:45 pm - 11:00 pm; Part-Time (0.6 FTE). All Shifts Require Staff to Work Every Other Weekend.

*This is a union-represented position under AFSCME Local 3481.

Organization Summary: As a trusted resource for families, the Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery partners with parents to promote strong, healthy families by offering free, voluntary services for parents who face barriers such as unemployment, homelessness, medical or mental health concerns, poverty, domestic violence, or other difficult situations. We help strengthen families by connecting them to resources, caring for their children during difficult times, and setting goals that promote self-sufficiency and make the relationship between the parent and child stronger.

Position Overview: The Child Development Specialist provides direct client care for children, newborn through six years of age, who are voluntarily placed by parents at the Nursery. The Child Development Specialist will engage in intentional, developmentally, and trauma-informed interventions that use three days of protective care to prevent child abuse and neglect, provide security, restore predictability, soothe trauma-related arousal, and provide care that helps children and strengthens families. All staff working on the shift report to the Children’s Services Manager, but may take direction from the Lead Child Development Specialist.

General Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide direct care for children in a healthy and nurturing care environment.
• Plan and implement social-emotional, educational, and recreational age-appropriate activities that allow children to work toward parent-identified goals.
• Assist children to develop safe and appropriate ways of interacting and expressing their feelings.
• Manage children’s behavior with the purpose of reinforcing positive behaviors and de-escalating challenging behaviors while processing the situation and providing alternatives in a positive manner. Document separation of child from peer group, when and if necessary.
• Maintain accurate placement logs of child’s daily activities, meals, and progress on parent-identified goals. Properly complete all forms relating to child placement, including health screens, accidents, incidents and concern forms, and make revisions as instructed by Children’s Services Manager and/or Lead Child Development Specialist.
• Prepare for shift by reading children’s files, admission information, parent-identified goals, and other relevant placement information.
• Follow all GMCN health and safety protocols.
• Complete other duties as assigned to meet agency needs.

Organizational Expectations:

• Role model healthy, professional behavior while working with children, families, staff, volunteers, and anyone else you come into contact with at the Nursery.
• Communicate effectively with other staff, supervisors, and volunteers.
• Work well as part of a team to complete duties and meet agency needs.
• Value diverse economic, cultural, and racial backgrounds outside of your own background and experience.
• Commitment to inclusion.
• Willingness to challenge one’s own perspective and learn and understand other’s perspectives.

Qualifications:

1. Age: Must be 19 years of age for day and evening shifts; 21 years of age for overnight.

2. Education: High school diploma or equivalent required; preference will be given to those with early childhood training, Associate’s or Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood education, Psychology, Social Work, Human Services, or related field.

3. Experience:

• At least one-year professional experience working with children in similar childcare or residential setting preferred
• Experience partnering with diverse communities required.
• Experience working in crisis situations and crisis intervention preferred.
• Applicable college level education may be considered substitution for experience on a case by case basis.

4. What does success look like for the Child Development Specialist?

• The Child Development Specialist will be a self-starter, creative, and a multitasker and be able to carry out group and individual activities for children ages newborn through six years of age.
• They will have the ability to work both independently and collaboratively and to make decisions under pressure in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment.
• They will work with other staff on their shift to ensure proper care of children and that daily duties are completed.
• Ability to communicate effectively in English, both written and orally.
• They will be passionate about the Nursery’s mission and values.

5. Certifications:

• Current CPR/First Aid certification, or be willing to become certified within 90 days of employment.

6. Minimum Physical Requirements:

• Ability to bend from a standing position
• Ability to lift up to 40 pounds
• Ability to carry 40 pounds up and down stairs or place into strollers
• Ability to sit on the floor and able to rise quickly
• Ability to hear a child speaking or crying

Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery is committed to practicing diversity, equity and inclusion as an organization, and embedding this approach in everything that we do. We welcome candidates who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQ, and people of all genders.