Floating Early Childhood Paraprofessional

At JCC Chicago, we are focused on growing good kids, building communities, and educating ourselves on the past to make a difference for the future. The largest JCC in North America, JCC Chicago offers a life-affirming journey that builds on the richness and power of Jewish values and continues to reimagine them for a more connected, inspired community.

The role of the Floating Early Childhood Paraprofessional is to provide additional guidance and support to individual children within a daycare/preschool environment who are presenting with challenging or unsafe behaviors. The goal of this position is to help the child successfully engage with their peers, follow class routines, manage transitions, minimize physical behaviors, and remain safe. This is a temporary, part time position expected to start mid-January 2025 and run until mid-June 2025.

JCC Chicago is an equal opportunity agency that offers programs for all ages and abilities. Our goal is to foster relationships, build our community, and create connections that will enable our mission to reach a larger impact. We welcome you to join us in building your career, as we build a stronger community.

Key Essential Job Duties/Physical Requirements:

• Facilitate prosocial interactions between child and their peers.
• Promote cooperative and interactive play skills.
• Model language to help the child communicate their wants and needs.
• Redirect physical behaviors.
• Help the child identify and label their emotions.
• Help the child regulate their body.
• Aid in creating smooth transitions from one activity to another.
• Collaborate with staff to implement accommodations recommended by the social worker and outside therapeutic professionals.
• Document all behaviors being tracked.
• Communicate with parents and colleagues regularly.
• Engage in biweekly supervision meetings with the site social worker and/or director.
• Implement interventions such as: use of visuals, flexible seating, calming tools, sensory breaks and activities.
• Must be able to lift and move with children (up to 40lbs.)
• Must demonstrate physical stamina and agility including the ability to be mobile for long periods throughout the day.
• Demonstrated ability to move from sitting (on chair or floor) to standing position easily and quickly;
• Must be able to stand for long periods of time and be able to run and be actively engaged physically with children.
• Must be able to respond to emergency situations, moving from sitting to standing, carrying children up to 40lbs and running quickly and effectively.
• Must be able to supervise children by sight and sound.

Days/Hours/%Travel: 

Monday through Friday 8:30AM – 12:45PM

Location: 

Horwich JCC - 3003 W. Touhy Ave, Chicago, IL

OR

Weinger JCC - 300 Revere Drive, Northbrook, IL 

Hourly Rate:

$18.75/hr

Education Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Masters degree welcomed

Previous Experience:

• Experience working with young children in a school or camp setting.
• Knowledge of positive behavior supports.
• Experience working in a collaborative team environment.
• A general understanding of child development, sensory processing, and regulation.
• A passion for inclusion and helping to set up each child for success.
• Strong communication skills.
• Embraces a growth mindset.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.

JCC Chicago provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, sexual preference, gender identity or expression, marital status, apparent or non-apparent disability, veteran’s status, or unfavorable discharge from military service in accordance with state and federal laws.

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Salary : $19