Assistant Teacher (Infant and Toddler Group)

Job Summary:

As a Toddler Assistant Teacher at the YWCA White Plains & Central Westchester, you’ll do more than care for toddlers—you’ll help lay the foundation for a lifetime of learning and belonging. Using The Creative Curriculum® for Toddlers, you’ll help design nurturing, play-based experiences that promote exploration, secure attachments, and developmental growth. Each day, you’ll guide routines like feeding, diapering, and rest with intention, while sparking curiosity through music, storytelling, and sensory play. You’ll build strong relationships with families, support individual learning journeys, and be part of a mission-driven team committed to equity, excellence, and the power of early childhood education. 

Key Responsibilities  

PRIMARY DUTIES: 

• Build secure, trusting relationships by observing and responding to each toddler’s cues, needs, and interests with warmth and consistency. 
• Assist the Head Teacher to plan and facilitate daily routines and intentional activities grounded in The Creative Curriculum® that promote cognitive, language, motor, and social-emotional development. 
• Maintain an engaging, safe, and sensory-rich classroom environment that supports exploration and individualized learning. 
• Use ongoing observation to document developmental milestones, inform lesson planning, and partner with families to support each child’s unique growth. 
• Ensure the physical well-being of all toddlers through safe diapering, feeding, napping, and hygiene practices that meet or exceed OCFS regulations. 
• Adhere to NAEYC Developmentally Appropriate Practices and Accreditation Criteria to ensure high-quality early childhood programming. 
• Establish open, respectful communication with families using tools like Brightwheel to share daily updates, progress notes, and developmental insights in a culturally responsive manner. 
• Work collaboratively with co-teachers and supervisors, contribute to a positive team culture, and participate in required trainings and professional development. 
• Uphold the YWCA mission by creating an inclusive classroom where every child and family is valued and represented. 

Qualifications 

Education:  

• Minimum: High School Diploma or Equivalent. 
• Preferred: Toddler/Toddler CDA credential, Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field 

Experience:   

• Minimum of 1 year experience working with toddlers in a licensed early childhood setting 
• Ability to work effectively within a diverse team and with families from a wide range of backgrounds 

Licensing and/or Certifications: Must meet all NYS OCFS licensing requirements including: 

• Fingerprinting/background clearance 
• Medical and TB screening 
• Pediatric First Aid & CPR (or willingness to complete upon hire) 

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: 

• Knowledge of child development, curriculum planning. 
• Good communication skills required. 
• Good interpersonal skills required. 

Compensation: $18.00-$22.00 hourly commensurate with experience and qualifications 

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Employee discount
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Job Type: Full-time

Schedule:

• 8-hour shift
• Monday to Friday

Work Location: In person

Physical Demands: 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential responsibilities and functions of the job and are not meant to be all inclusive. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential responsibilities and functions of the job. 

Unless reasonable accommodations can be made, while performing this job the staff member 

shall: 

• Use strength to lift 40 pounds needed to perform the functions of the job. 
• Sit, stand and walk for required periods of time. 
• Speak and hear. 
• Use close vision, color vision, peripheral vision and depth perception along with the ability to focus vision. 
• Communicate effectively in English, using proper grammar and vocabulary. In certain situations, American Sign Language. Braille, or other language may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication. 
• Reach with hands and arms and use hands and fingers to handle objects and operate tools, computers, and/or controls. 

Environmental Demands: 

The environmental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential responsibilities and functions of the job and are not meant to be all inclusive: 

• Exposure to a variety of childhood and adult diseases and illnesses. 
• Occasional exposure to a variety of weather conditions. 
• Exposure to heated/air conditioned and ventilated facilities. 
• Exposure to a building in which a variety of chemical substances are used for cleaning, instruction, and/or operation of equipment. 

Function in a workplace that is usually moderately quiet but that can be noisy at times