SAP Group Worker

Position Summary:

Casa Central’s School Age Program (SAP) provides out-of-school-time enrichment programming for children ages 5-12 and their families.  The Group Worker is responsible for planning, organizing and implementing activities in the School Age Program. Group Workers walk and/or ride on Casa Central’s busses to pick up children from school; engage in indoor and outdoor play; lead and supervise children on various field trips; plan and implement lesson plans and special activities; provide support with homework; and ensure a welcoming, safe, nurturing, engaging environment for children and their families. Must be available to work a variable schedule: full-time in the summer and during days of non-attendance at school and part-time on regular school days. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities   

Include the following, other duties as assigned:

Family Engagement

Maintain communication and a positive relationship with families.  Share information with parents/caregivers about their child’s strengths and successes.  Collaborate with families and program staff to address any challenges or needs. 

Program Planning

Develop lesson plans which demonstrate and instruct children in activities including active sports, games, arts and crafts, nutrition, science, drama, social emotional learning, and others.  Identify interests of individual children and develop plans to help them build on those interests. 

Participant Service Delivery

Lead a group of children in engaging activities that meet funder and licensing/accrediting body requirements.  Assist children with assigned homework.  Provide choices for children and guide them in making positive decisions.  Accompany and supervise children on outings.  This includes walking to parks, schools, and on field trips, including in water (pools and lakes) when necessary.  Pick children up from school (walking or via agency-owned vehicles) and ensure safe transportation back to the center.  Help children serve themselves meals (breakfast, lunch and supper on full days; supper only on half days), following safe food handling protocol.  Follow safety measures with children indoors and outdoors, ensuring active supervision of children at all times. 

Service Documentation 

Maintain accurate daily attendance records.  Maintain accurate daily meal count records.  Support completion of individualized quarterly case notes. 

Administrative Tasks

Attend and engage in staff meetings.  Approve time sheets and ensure compliance with agency and funder guidelines, ensuring that daily activities are within the allowable activities approved by the agency. 

Program-Specific Activities 

Maintain knowledge in child development, out-of-school time care, and other relevant themes by attending seminars, workshops and in-service trainings, completing and maintaining documentation of at least 20 hours of ongoing professional development each year.  Work with Program Director and other team members to maintain DCFS licensing standards and ExceleRate Illinois standards of quality.  Support volunteers and interns in engaging appropriately and effectively with children in the classrooms. 

Performance & Quality Management 

Nurture positive and collaborative working relationships with other agency staff and outside stakeholders and partners.  Incorporate the agency mission, philosophy, and core values in direct daily work and decision-making; adhere to agency policy.  Cultivate a professional and respectful work environment.  Be actively involved with, and knowledgeable about, the agency’s Performance Quality Improvement (PQI) structure and process.

General Requirements:  

Sensitivity to cultural diversity is required.  Will be subject to drug and alcohol screening and a comprehensive background check.  To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.   Reasonable accommodations may be made to perform the essential functions.  

Education/Experience:  

Thirty semester hours (or 45 quarter hours) of credit from an accredited college or university with six semester hours (or nine quarter hours) related to school-age child care, child development, elementary education, physical education, recreation, camping or other related fields; or  

1560 clock hours of experience in a recreational program or licensed day care center serving school-age children or a license exempt school-age child care program operated by a public or private school, and six semester hours (or nine quarter hours) of credit from an accredited college or university related to school-age child care, child development, elementary education, physical education, recreation, camping or other related fields; or 

A high school diploma or equivalency certificate plus 3120 clock hours of experience in a recreational program, kindergarten, or licensed day care center serving school-age children or a license exempt school-age child care program operated by a public or private school. 

Gateways School Age Youth Development (SAYD) credential strongly preferred. 

Language Skills: 

Bilingual in Spanish preferred. 

Computer Literacy & Knowledge Skills Abilities: 

Basic computer skills required. 

Mathematical Skills: 

Basic math skills required. 

Operating Environment and Working Relationships:  

Ability to work within an interdisciplinary team as a cooperative and supportive team member. Ability to establish relationships with families and stakeholders from diverse backgrounds.   

Decision Making Authority:  

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to seek support from Program Coordinator and/or Program Director to make decisions beyond the scope of the role. 

People Management:  

Must exhibit ability to work in a cooperative manner with all agency staff and persons affiliated with the agency.  Follow the personnel policies of Casa Central. Support with oversight of volunteers and interns. 

Remote Work/Technology (WIFI)/Mobile Phone Usage:

Not eligible for remote work. A personal mobile phone is not required and therefore not eligible for mobile phone reimbursement.
 

Physical Demands: 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, talk and hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands. Must be able to lift and carry 25lbs.

 Work Environment:  

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.   Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. 

Disclaimer: 

The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the employee in this position. The content of this job description is not intended to be constructed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of a person in this position.

I acknowledge and understand that:

Receipt of the position description does not imply nor create a promise of employment, nor an employment contract of any kind, and that my employment is at-will.

• The job description provides a general summary of the position in which I am employed, that the contents of this job description are job requirements and, at this time, I know of no limitations which would prevent me from performing these functions with or without accommodation. I further understand that it is my responsibility to inform my supervisor at any time that I am unable to perform these functions.
• Job duties, tasks, work hours and work requirements may be changed at any time.