Safari Childcare
Job Opportunities
If you consider yourself… compassionate, loving, highly energetic, self-motivated,
a good problem-solver, and have the ability to truly recognize a child’s
individual needs... then YOU should become the newest member of our team!
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You must also possess the experience and educational credentials that reflect Safari Childcare's standard of excellence.
Safari Childcare has been in operation for over 27 years. The company serves those who are 6 weeks up to 12 years of age. We are currently hiring for our Mt. Prospect and Hanover Park schools.
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We offer rewarding opportunities in a friendly, hard working, collaborative environment, with excellent benefits including:
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✓ Heath and Dental (HMO/PPO plans)
✓ Extremely Discounted Childcare
✓ Tuition Reimbursement
✓ Sick/Vacation Days
✓ Advancement Potential
We seek highly professional individuals to fill key positions at Safari Childcare, ensuring our leadership and taking us to even higher levels of growth, profitability, innovation, and customer service. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome individuals of diverse talents and backgrounds. Safari Childcare promotes and supports a drug-free and smoke-free workplace.
Available Positions
Center Director or Director Delegate
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Looking for take-charge, hardworking leaders,
with a genuine love for all children, to run the show!
Director Responsibilities include:
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Ensuring total quality management throughout the center by upholding the highest health, safety, and cleanliness standards in order to facilitate a positive, supportive environment for students, families, and teachers.
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Promoting Safari Childcare through: potential customer tours, community events, networking with businesses and chambers, and location-based promotions. Bonus plan is primarily based upon enrolling children into the center.
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Establishing and maintaining strong customer relationships with current and potential customers. Sales, customer service and strong follow-up skills are essential in order to be successful in this position. Those who are patient, organized, and enjoy helping people will thrive in this position.
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Managing staff by: mentoring, leading and training teachers as well as terminating staff who are not performing in the best interest of the children.
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Supervising the implementation of a developmentally-appropriate curriculum with an emphasis on literacy, math, science, and first-grade readiness. Evaluating the classroom structure, daily schedule, and teacher's interaction with students, and in some instances dis-enrolling bullies, if necessary, to protect the other students.
Director Procedures include:
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Maintaining ratios throughout classrooms, daily attendance tracking, collecting money from customers, ensuring ledger statements are understood; entering deposits, completing a weekly staffing schedule, reviewing employee timecards, completing employee reviews, initiating work orders and purchase orders, ensuring compliance with fire, health, and DCFS standards, and maintaining ongoing documentation.
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The Center Director is in charge of managing all facets of the school, so we are looking for proactive, problem-solvers who will quickly identify problems and then work to implement solutions. This position provides "the best of both worlds" for childcare teachers who are ready to transition beyond the classroom but who still enjoy watching children learn and develop. Those who are willing to work hard to achieve ongoing bonuses could earn twice their base wage within the first year. A typical work week is 8am-6pm not including meetings or events that may take place outside of those hours. This is to ensure Directors can see a majority of the customers/parents when they are dropping of their child in the morning and/or when they pick up.
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Director Delegates may open or close the location and may work in a classroom a majority of the day, but many of the responsibilities outlined above are introduced to Director Delegates so that they may fill in procedurally in a Center Director's absence.
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Must meet IL DCFS Director requirements, including 60+ total college credits and 18+ credits in classes relating to early childhood development from birth to age 6. Bachelor’s degree + 21 ece preferred.
Early Childhood Teachers
Make a difference in children's lives!
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We are looking for take-charge individuals with a lifelong passion for teaching to implement a developmentally- enriching curriculum and to maintain a clean, safe, and supportive classroom and environment. A genuine desire to lead and inspire both students and other teachers is essential for this position.
Safari childcare implements a thematic curriculum, focuses on individualized care for each student, and encourages ongoing parent interaction and communication. This position will entail preparing and implementing weekly lesson plans, defining measurable outcomes to evaluate each child's progress, and ultimately preparing students for 1st grade. Emphasis on literacy, math, and science as well as exceptional health and safety standards throughout the school is required.
Responsibilities include:
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Ensuring professional development requirements are met, more specifically 15 hours of in-service training per year.
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Submitting purchase orders of all supplies and equipment needed to implement comprehensive curriculum.
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Articulating and modeling Safari Childcare philosophies and vision to students, families, staff, and the community.
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Ensuring classrooms, hallways, playgrounds, and common areas are safe, clean, organized, and tour-ready at all times.
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Devising action plans regarding students and subordinates who may be experiencing difficulty.
Characteristics and Qualifications:
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Dedication to Safari Childcare values, an understanding of its mission, and an unwavering commitment to fulfill the policies and procedures set forth by Safari Childcare.
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A high level of personal integrity and professionalism.
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A personal commitment to ensure each student learns to read and write.
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The capacity to motivate and lead fellow teachers in order to yield the highest academic performance possible from all students.
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The ability to give constructive feedback to subordinates in an effort to facilitate student growth and academic achievement.
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Openness to receive feedback on issues that will facilitate growth and achievement of both students and teachers.
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A minimum of 5 years’ experience in a child care setting, 10+ years preferred.
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Experience coaching or managing others in order to achieve a common goal.
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A passion for teaching children and watching them learn and grow.
Applicants who are willing to identify and solve problems, collaborate with others, and who are not afraid to lead and manage others, will thrive in this environment. All candidates must have a genuine love for all children, and meet IL DCFS requirements for Lead Teacher: 60 credits + 6 ece or 30 credits + 1 year experience in licensed child care + 6 ece credits.
Benefits include:
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60% off childcare,
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health & dental insurance
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tuition reimbursement, and
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extensive advancement potential!
Pay commensurate with education and experience.
Teacher's Assistant
Responsibilities: To assist lead teacher in all classroom functions, implement lesson plans, tend to children’s needs, maintain room
design, and adhere to health and safety procedures.
Requirements: High school diploma, or equivalency. If currently attending high school must have one year of vocational childcare training.
Cook
Responsibilities: Plan, prepare, and serve nutritious meals and snacks in large quantities; supply appropriate amount of food for each classroom; manage and make necessary substitutions for individual children’s dietary restrictions and/or allergies; complete orders for necessary food and cooking supplies; ensure safe food storage and disposal; collect and wash dishes and utensils; maintain clean and sanitary facilities; adhere to Food and Sanitation standards.
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Requirements: High school diploma, or equivalency preferred. Food/Sanitation Certificate preferred.
All positions will require frequent bending, squatting, kneeling, sitting up and down, lifting and carrying of children (potentially up to 75 lbs or more), constant movement on your feet and circulation throughout the classroom, mopping, sweeping, disinfecting, cleaning (to include but not limited to: bathroom, kitchen, dishes, floors, and toys), diapering and changing of clothes (with latex or vinyl gloves), and serving beverages and meals containing various ingredients. Associates must also possess the ability to remain calm while successfully assessing and solving problems in high stress situations.
All associates are required to demonstrate flexibility. Staff scheduling will be based on Safari Childcare’s needs as well as the employee’s classification. The actual hours worked may change according to company needs. There may be times when a staff member will need to work in an alternative classroom or location that differs from their normal schedule.
All positions are required to participate in community events. These events take place throughout the year and may include an occasional holiday. The days and times of these events may or may not be during normal working hours, such as on a weekend or weeknight. These events are important for the success of Safari Childcare, as it is Safari's main method of marketing to the community. We look for our associates to bond with prospective parents and help eliminate the fear of the unknown by showing them who their child's teachers and directors will be.