As a teacher at FamilyForward’s Early Childhood Center, you will provide psychoeducational treatment services to preschool-aged children who have experienced child abuse, neglect, or family violence victimization. You will work collaboratively with other teachers to provide a structured therapeutic environment to support students with developmental delays, emotional difficulties, and behavioral challenges resulting from the experience of adverse life events.
FamilyForward is committed to upholding the Organizational Health Anchors that we have set for the agency, including: safety; mindfulness and self-regulation; relational health; cultural diversity, inclusivity, equity, and anti-racism; clinical lens; vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue.
What puts FamilyForward Out Front:
- Small adult-child ratios and high levels of support for staff in the classroom
- 4-days of programming, Fridays without students for flexible use
- Brand new facility built intentionally to support the needs of staff and students
- Paid time-off for Agency Wellness Week (December 24th to December 31st annually)
- Programming based in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics
- Emphasis on professional learning, growth, and development
How we wholeheartedly take care of our people:
- Competitive pay & benefits package includes:
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your family
- Optional short-term disability
- Virtual medical and mental health care coverage
- Employee Assistance Program counseling services
- Pre-tax medical Flexible Spending Accounts
- Health Reimbursement Account for deductible expenses over $1000 individual; $2000 for families
- 3% dollar for dollar company-matched 403(b) retirement savings account
- Company-paid long-term disability and life insurance
- Education assistance program
- Wellness Week (December 25th - 31st paid holiday week)
- Additional 10 paid holidays, including 2 floating holidays for religious/cultural days.
- Paid vacation time and health and wellness leave
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligible employer
- National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Eligible Site
- Member and active participant in the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce
- Diversity Awareness Partnership Non-Profit Partner
What to expect on a given day as an Early Childhood Center Teacher:
- You’ll create an environment in your classroom that supports play, felt safety, and co-regulation.
- Throughout the day, you will implement lesson plans that you have created, engaging students in developmentally appropriate and trauma-informed therapeutic activities.
- You will be consistently supported by therapeutic support staff in the classroom.
- You will continually build your “toolbox” of strategies through training and supervision to proactively support the regulation of your students through sensory integration, regulation, and relational domains.
- When students need support with challenging behaviors and big emotions, you will implement these strategies and individualized therapeutic interventions.
- You will be responsible for ensuring the safety of students at all times, including utilizing the safe room and/or appropriate restraints (that you will be trained in, and as a last resort) when absolutely necessary.
- You will communicate with caregivers on a consistent basis, including engaging in parent conferences, to ensure continuity of care from school to home.
- When needed, you may be asked to provide support to the Educational Therapist and/or Program Manager with specific tasks.
You would be a good fit for this position if you:
- Have compassion for children, families, and caregivers who have experienced adverse life events.
- Are willing to grow your knowledge of developmental trauma to better understand our clients and engage in regular training and skills-building.
- Enjoy using creativity to develop fun activities for children.
- Can develop trust-based relationships with children, caregivers, and co-workers.
- Are comfortable supporting children experiencing challenging behaviors.
- Have a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education or Child Development, or you have equivalent experience.
