Child Care Provider

JOB TITLE: Child Care Provider

HOUR STATUS: Nonexempt

REPORTS TO: Child Care Director

PAY GRADE: Aux 2/8hr/187days

DEPT./SCHOOL: District

DATE REVISED: 07/2026

PRIMARY PURPOSE:

Provide safe, attentive, and developmentally appropriate care for children from 6 weeks through 3 years of age. Plan and carry out daily learning and care routines while complying with Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Child Care Regulation minimum standards, district policy, and center procedures.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education/Certification:

Must be at least 18 years of age

High school diploma, high school equivalency certificate, or high school certificate of coursework completion

Child Development Associate (CDA) credential preferred

Current pediatric first-aid and pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification, including rescue breathing and choking response, required before working with children and maintained throughout employment

Satisfactory completion of all state and district-required background checks, fingerprinting, employment affidavits, and eligibility reviews

Special Knowledge/Skills:

Knowledge of infant and toddler development, developmentally appropriate practices, and age-appropriate learning activities

Ability to maintain active supervision, required child-to-caregiver ratios, group sizes, and accurate attendance counts

Knowledge of positive guidance, safe-sleep practices, feeding, diapering, toileting, sanitation, and infection-control procedures

Ability to administer medication safely and maintain complete medication records

Ability to communicate effectively with young children, parents, coworkers, and administrators

Ability to maintain confidentiality, appropriate professional boundaries, sound judgment, and emotional control

Experience:

Previous experience working in a licensed child-care center preferred

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:

Child Supervision and Development

Provide continuous, attentive supervision of assigned children and position oneself to see or hear children and respond promptly to their needs and actions.

Know the name, number, location, and individual needs of children in care and complete accurate name-to-face counts during every transition.

Plan and implement developmentally appropriate indoor and outdoor activities that include active and quiet play, language, sensory exploration, music, movement, early literacy, and opportunities for individual and group learning.

Follow each child's schedule and written care information, including feeding, sleeping, diapering, toileting, allergy, health, and developmental needs.

Interact with children in a patient, nurturing, and respectful manner. Use positive guidance techniques and comply with all prohibitions on harsh, humiliating, frightening, or physically punitive discipline.

Support children's social-emotional development, independence, communication, and self-regulation while respecting individual differences and family cultures.

Prepare children and maintain safe supervision during classroom transitions, outdoor play, meals, rest periods, emergency drills, and arrival and dismissal.

Infant and Toddler Care

Follow HHSC safe-sleep requirements and each infant's individualized care plan. Place infants on their backs in an empty, approved crib unless a written medical exception applies, and conduct required visual and auditory checks.

Feed infants and toddlers according to written instructions and safe-feeding practices. Hold infants who cannot hold their own bottles, never prop bottles, and document feedings as required.

Perform diapering and toileting procedures using required handwashing, glove use, cleaning, sanitizing, and supervision practices. Never leave a child unattended on a changing surface or in a restroom.

Provide frequent opportunities for supervised tummy time, movement, exploration, language, and responsive interaction appropriate to each child's age and development.

Health, Safety, and Medication

Conduct routine classroom and playground safety checks; remove or secure hazards and immediately report unsafe conditions, damaged equipment, injuries, illness, or unusual behavior to the Child Care Director.

Follow required handwashing, cleaning, sanitizing, food-safety, universal-precaution, and communicable-disease procedures. Use required personal protective equipment when exposed to blood or bodily fluids.

Monitor children for symptoms of illness, allergic reactions, breathing difficulty, injury, or distress; provide first aid or CPR when needed and activate emergency procedures promptly.

Administer medication only with required written authorization and according to the prescription label, manufacturer's directions, district procedures, and HHSC minimum standards. Verify the correct child, medication, dose, route, and time before administration.

Document medication administration immediately, maintain secure storage and required refrigeration, and promptly report medication errors, missed doses, or adverse reactions.

Follow individual allergy and emergency-care plans and prevent children's access to medications, cleaning products, bodily fluids, choking hazards, unsafe food, and other hazardous materials.

Implement district and center emergency procedures, including evacuation, relocation, shelter, lockdown, severe-weather, fire, and reunification procedures. Carry required attendance and emergency information during evacuations.

Records, Communication, and Team Responsibilities

Maintain timely and accurate attendance, transition counts, feeding, diapering, toileting, sleep, medication, injury, incident, and developmental records assigned.

Protect the confidentiality of children, families, and employees and access, discuss, photograph, transmit, and disclose records or information only as authorized by law, district policy, and center procedures.

Communicate respectfully with parents or guardians through approved district methods regarding the child's daily care, progress, supplies, health, injuries, incidents, and concerns.

Collaborate with the Child Care Director and coworkers to maintain consistent routines, classroom coverage, required ratios, safe transitions, and continuity of care.

Prepare and maintain clean, organized, inviting classrooms and learning centers. Properly use and store materials, supplies, bedding, food-service items, medications, and equipment.

Supervise children during meals and snacks and comply with allergy, choking-prevention, and sanitation requirements.

Participate in staff meetings, parent activities, inspections, emergency drills, center events, and other duties necessary for safe and effective center operations.

Policy, Training, and Legal Compliance

Comply with applicable federal and state law, 26 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 746, HHSC Child Care Regulation requirements, Texas Education Code Chapter 22A, board policy, the employee handbook, and center procedures.

Complete required orientation and pre-service training before assuming duties or being counted in the child-to-caregiver ratio, as applicable.

Complete at least 24 clock hours of annual caregiver training, exclusive of orientation, pre-service training, pediatric first aid, and pediatric CPR, and complete all additional training required for the ages served and assigned duties.

Complete medication-administration training before administering medication and maintain competency in medication authorization, labeling, storage, documentation, and emergency response procedures.

Complete required training in recognizing and preventing shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma, safe sleep and sudden infant death syndrome prevention, and early childhood brain development when caring for children younger than 24 months.

Complete required district training on child abuse, sexual abuse, human trafficking, other maltreatment, professional boundaries, emergency response, and student safety.

Personally report suspected child abuse or neglect to the proper state or law-enforcement authority no later than 24 hours after first having reasonable cause to believe abuse or neglect occurred. Internal notification does not replace or delay the employee's individual reporting duty.

Immediately notify the Child Care Director of injuries, serious incidents, allegations of employee misconduct, boundary violations, licensing concerns, or safety violations while also fulfilling any separate external reporting duty required by law.

Cooperate with district reviews, HHSC inspections and investigations, licensing activities, and corrective-action requirements.

Professional Growth and Conduct

Maintain required credentials and training records and apply current early-childhood practices to improve the quality of care.

Demonstrate punctuality, dependable attendance, professional dress, ethical conduct, and appropriate use of district technology and communication systems.

Maintain appropriate adult-child boundaries and prohibit unauthorized personal communication, photography, recording, or social-media contact involving children in care.

Perform other duties as assigned by the Child Care Director.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

None

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Tools/Equipment Used: Personal computer or tablet, telephone, two-way radio, audiovisual equipment, classroom and playground equipment, diapering and sanitation equipment, food-service items, first-aid supplies, and medication-administration materials

Posture: Frequent standing, walking, sitting on the floor, kneeling, squatting, bending, stooping, reaching, and repeated transitions between floor and standing positions

Motion: Frequent walking, grasping, fine-motor activity, carrying, pushing, pulling, and moving quickly to respond to children or emergencies

Lifting: Frequent lifting, positioning, and carrying of children, equipment, and supplies weighing up to 50 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation

Environment: Work indoors and outdoors; regular exposure to noise, temperature changes, cleaning products, bodily fluids, communicable illnesses, and childhood allergens. Work an eight-hour shift within the center's operating schedule

Mental Demands: Maintain continuous attention to multiple children, work with frequent interruptions, make sound decisions under time pressure, respond effectively to emergencies, and maintain emotional control and professional judgment

The foregoing statements describe the general purpose and responsibilities assigned to this job and are not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills that may be required.

Copperas Cove ISD does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, disability, or age in its programs, activities or employment practices.

For inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies, contact: Executive Director of Human Resources, (254) 547-1227, 408 S. Main, Copperas Cove, TX 76522