Child and Youth Program Assistant

**Duties**:

- Curriculum
- Develops schedules and activity plans.
- This may include reviewing and providing input into schedules and activity plans developed by the entry level and intermediate level Educational Aids (CY Program Assistants), CY-1702-I.
- Ensures that program plans and activities incorporate the observed needs of individual children and youth.
- Implements activities and special events that meet the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive needs of children and youth.
- Incorporates special instructions provided by parents such as special dietary needs, physical needs, or other information that may affect the child or youth's experience in the program.
- Prepares and implements program options for children and youth with special requirements.
- Cares for children and youth with special needs as directed by the supervisor.
- Demonstrates, instructs, leads, and facilitates planned and spontaneous program activities.
- Role models developmentally appropriate practice and classroom or activity area management techniques.
- Promotes and models safety, fitness, health, and nutrition practices.
- Helps arrange for and/or serve appropriate snacks or meals where applicable.
- Indoor and Outdoor Environment
- Helps prepare, arrange and maintain indoor and outdoor activity areas and materials to accommodate daily schedules.
- Sets up displays and bulletin boards.
- Inventories equipment on a recurring basis and recommends replenishing damaged, missing, and depleted supplies.
- Secures supplies, equipment, and facilities.
- Interactions and Relationships
- Establishes a program environment that sustains participant interest and promotes positive interactions with other children,
youth and adults.
- Interacts with children and youth using approved child guidance and youth development techniques.
- Supervision of Children and Youth
- Provides care and supervision, oversight, and accountability for program participants in compliance with the Department of Defense (DoD), NAF Component, and local installation policies, guidance, and standards.
- Maintains control of and accounts for whereabouts and safety of children and youth.
- Supervises children and youth during daily schedule of indoor and outdoor activities and on field trips, outings, and special events.
- Ensures children and youth (as applicable) depart with authorized person according to written parental instructions.
- Observes program participants for signs that may indicate illness, abuse, or neglect and reports as directed.
- Incumbent is a mandatory reporter to Family Advocacy and Child Protective Services as prescribed by local policy in the case of suspected incidences of child abuse and neglect.
- Parent and Employee Communication
- Interacts professionally with employees, parents, and local installation command personnel.
- Provides parents with daily verbal or written feedback about their child/youth or program activities.
- Participates in conferences with parents and employees.
- Assessment
- Observes children and youth and documents developmental progression and/or concerns.
- Uses the information in planning.
- Participates in program evaluation using designated instruments such as programmatic rating scales, risk assessment tools (as required), self-inspection materials, and national accreditation tools.
- Compliance
- Assists in achieving and maintaining DoD certification and national accreditation or equivalent.
- Ensures compliance with law, policies, and regulations applicable to DoD CY programs.
- Notifies supervisor of health, fire, and safety compliance concerns.
- Additional Responsibilities
- Collects, maintains, and reports program participation data.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.

**Requirements**:
**Conditions of Employment**:

- Must be 18 years of age or older.
- Complete required training certificates, and maintain certifications or credentials required by Federal, State, and/or national accreditation institutions used as part of DoD's Child and Youth Programs.
- Must pass all applicable records and background check.
- Undergo pre-employment and random drug testing. A positive drug test, or failure to submit for testing, is a basis for removal from this position.
- Pass a pre-employment physical, provide evidence of immunization, be free of all communicable diseases, and obtain appropriate immunization against communicable diseases.
- Ability to sustain considerable walking, standing, bending and stooping, and lifting up to 40 pounds.
- Incumbents must satisfactorily complete all background checks for child care positions, including fingerprint checks, a Tier 1 with Child Care check, and a State Criminal History Repository (SCHR) check.

**Qualifications**:

- ** Target Level (CY-1702-02)**

Entry and Intermediate Levels' knowledge and abilities plus:

- Knowledge of child and youth development principles in order to appropriately inform the efficient and effective program response to meet the needs