Job Summary:

The primary objective of the Childcare Manager role is to oversee the efficient operations of the Métis Family Services Society Childcare Centre at Bridgeview on a day-to-day basis ensuring that the centre’s operations are aligned to meet the principles of cultural safety and trauma informed practice. The Childcare Manager will play a crucial role in defining program methodologies, with a special emphasis on Métis culture, establish and implement policies and procedures, developing a staffing plan, and managing various aspects of labor relations, from hiring to performance management, and employee exits.

The Childcare Manager maintains responsibility for the day-to-day operations including facility and equipment compliance, licensing, program development and service delivery and evaluation, business operations within the program such as financial and human resource matters. The Childcare Manager will provide daily supervision, leadership, and mentorship within the Childcare Programs, including supervising the Early Childcare Educators and Early Childcare Educator Assistants. The Childcare Manager will ensure the work of their team is integrated and managed to provide a beneficial level of services to the client and community members served.

Reports to: The Director of Programs and Practice, Child and Family Development

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Key duties and responsibilities of this position will be carried out in accordance with MFS, the Ministry of Children & Family Development (“MCFD”) and Ministry of Education and Child Care policies and procedures and in compliance with Fraser Health Licensing.

• Managing the day-to-day operations of the Childcare Centre:

• Responsible for the implementation of a trauma informed and culturally competent practice approach in day-to-day operations of the Childcare Centre.

• Ensures compliance with municipal, provincial, and federal policies and regulations.

• Liaises with childcare and family agencies throughout the South Fraser Service Delivery Area including other childcare and family resource centres, ministries of government responsible for childcare and family services, and professional associations.

• Develops (or oversees the development and maintenance of) effective childcare policies and procedures manuals.

• Oversees registration of children including oversight and primary responsibility for wait-list management and communication strategies.

• Facilitates a mechanism for ongoing feedback on program quality from families and responds to sensitive and common inquiries or complaints from families and/or members of the community.

• Oversees the updates and maintenance of the Childcare Centre’s online presence.

• Ensures that adequate security is maintained in the facility.

• Works on the floor as an Early Childhood Educator as backup for situations where staff are not available.

• Identifies families needing outreach and connects them to Métis Family Services and local support organizations as required.

• Develops a supply list and oversees procurement processes to ensure all necessary materials and equipment are acquired to support activities and other program needs.

• Ensures the Childcare Centre's compliance with all health, safety, and licensing regulations.

• Manages the Childcare Centre personnel including:

• Oversees and plans for staff recruitment, retention and well-being, including interviewing, hiring, training and supervising Early Childcare Educators and Early Childcare Educator Assistants, in accordance with the Agency Policies and Procedures Manual and the Indigenous Services Collective Agreement.

• Interviews and hires new staff.

• Develops and implements a comprehensive labour management strategy that minimizes costs while maintaining appropriate staffing levels and ratios.

• Manages the use of vacation time and/or overtime to ensure the unit’s salary liability is minimal. Authorizes vacation/accrued time and maintains appropriate records.

• Sets performance expectations and oversees performance and training plans.

• Carries out workplace investigations, applies progressive discipline, and terminates staff employment as required.

• Manages staff succession and progression planning.

• Provides leadership and support to Childcare staff regarding their daily activities.

• Conducts regular communications, planning and strategy meetings with staff and appropriate stakeholders.

• Completes staff scheduling, on site payroll, evaluating job performance, conducting performance appraisals and coaching.

• Oversees or designates supervision of practicum students.

• Leads and supports key opportunities for staff recognition.

• Ensures personnel comply with the Community Care Facility Act.

• Manages the Childcare program budget including:

• With the Director of Finance and the Director of Programs and Practice, Child and Family Development, develops and administers annual budgets to meet the program’s annual and long-range financial planning goals.

• Prepares monthly cash flow forecasts and recommends reallocation of funds, where required.

• Develops and maintains the financial controls/procedures within the Childcare Centre.

• Assumes primary responsibility of internal controls for family fees including oversight of Accounts Receivable controls.

• Supports families to apply for and maintain funding, such as the Affordable Child Care Benefit and the Métis Child Care Benefit.

• Maintains the Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliant transaction system through daily administration, including monitoring, data entry, and generating a wide variety of general and ad-hoc reports.

• Oversees daily program expenditures, ensuring that funds are spent within program guidelines.

• Actively leads the assessment of current facilities and operational costs.

• Assists finance department with reports, review and provides feedback as required.

• Develops collaborative partnerships through efforts including:

• Takes an active role working with community partners and program funders.

• Works with colleagues on initiatives that focus on strong service delivery that positively impact the staff and family experience.

• Leads and actively participates in all Childcare Centre meetings and all related leadership development initiatives.

• Ensures that program is delivered in accordance with service deliverables as outlined in applicable funding contracts.

• Addresses complaints and resolves problems where appropriate.

• Ensures effective communication with supervisor, clients and families, both verbally and in writing, including public speaking, education and clarifying processes and implementing boundaries in a non-judgmental manner.

• Consults with the Director of Programs and Practice, Child and Family Development, on a case-by-case basis/daily/weekly.

• Maintains individual client files, as required, and ensures that confidentiality is a priority.

• Provides written documents and monthly reports/stats to the Director of Programs and Practice, Child and Family Development.

• Performs other related duties as required.

Qualifications, Education and Experience:

• Basic Early Childhood Education Certificate and a license to practice from the B.C. Early Childhood Educator Registry, with Infant Toddler and Special Needs designation.
• A valid Childcare First Aid Certificate.
• Strong working knowledge of child development and childcare programming, related legislation (the Community Care Facilities Act), regulations and policies related to childcare in BC.
• Working knowledge of BC Early Learning Framework (ELF), Indigenous Early Learning Framework (IEFL) and Métis Early Learning and Childcare Framework.
• Working knowledge of case management principles and practices: file documentation, security, confidentiality, mandatory reporting controls, screening procedures, and trauma-informed approaches.
• Working knowledge of pedagogical narration.
• Knowledge of Métis/Indigenous child well-being issues, including working knowledge of Métis/Indigenous child-rearing and educational concepts.Working knowledge and experience including children with support needs to fully participate in early learning programs and activities.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Métis/Indigenous history, cultural practices, traditions, teachings, stories, language, traditional foods & medicines, and experiences particular to Métis/Indigenous people across Canada.
• Knowledge and experience in budgeting, cost estimating and fiscal management principles and procedures.
• Familiarity with community resources in the South Fraser region, including other childcare programs.
• Knowledge of the Child, Family & Community Services Act, specifically section 13 child protection concerns.
• Computer knowledge and the ability to use Microsoft office suite.
• Five (5) years of recent related experience, managing a childcare facility or a combination of relevant experience.

Job Skills and Abilities:

• Early childhood education: Knowledge of child development principles and age-appropriate teaching methods.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with diverse families and population including: Elders, Métis/Indigenous community members and agencies, with a client/family-centered approach.
• Ability to lead and work effectively with program staff, volunteers, and nonprofit or publicly funded groups, agencies and organizations.
• Ability to build and maintain productive working relationships with all stakeholders.
• Demonstrated effective leadership, supervisory and teamwork skills.
• Strong time management skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills, suitable for working with team members and young children.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Strong advocacy, diplomacy, problem solving and conflict resolution skills.
• Self-directed and motivated to manage all aspects of childcare facility operations with minimal supervision.
• Classroom management: Ability to create a structured and positive learning environment.
• Educate: Passion for teaching, nurturing, and supporting child and infant development.
• Caregiving: Ability to provide compassionate care and support to children.
• Cultural sensitivity.
• Ability to lift 50lbs

Core Competencies:

Indigenous Relations Behavioural Competencies

• Cultural Agility is the ability to work respectfully, knowledgeably, and effectively with Indigenous people. It is noticing and readily adapting to cultural uniqueness in order to create a sense of safety for all. It is openness to unfamiliar experiences, transforming feelings of nervousness or anxiety into curiosity and appreciation. It is examining one's own culture and worldview, and the culture of Métis Family Services, and to notice their commonalities, and distinctions with Indigenous cultures, and worldviews. It is recognition of the ways that personal and professional values may conflict or align with those of Indigenous people. It is the capacity to relate to or allow for differing cultural perspectives and being willing to experience a personal shift in perspective. Effectively to other people from diverse backgrounds with diverse views.

Behavioural Competencies

• Results Driven concern for surpassing a standard of excellence. The standard may be one’s own past performance (striving for improvement); an objective measure (achievement orientation); challenging goals that one has set; or even improving or surpassing what has already been done (continuous improvement).

• Teamwork and Co-operation is the ability to work co-operatively with diverse teams, work groups, and across the organization to achieve group and organizational goals. It includes the desire and ability to understand and respond effectively to other people from diverse backgrounds with diverse views.

• Service Orientation implies a desire to identify and serve customers/clients, who may include the public, co-workers, other branches, other ministries/agencies, other government organizations, and non-government organizations. It means focusing one's efforts on discovering and meeting the needs of the customer/client.

• Seeking and Using Feedback involves recognizing that improving performance and authenticity can occur through a reciprocal relationship. This requires an acknowledgement that here is an opportunity for mutual learning and development and levels the field in what is brought to supervision. Reciprocal learning can require active listening and modeling personal change in order to foster trust.

• Decisive Insight combines the ability to draw on one’s own experience, knowledge and training and effectively problem-solve increasingly difficult and complex situations. It involves breaking down problems, tracing implications and recognizing patterns and connections that are not obviously related.

• Reflective Practice is the ability to critically assess how one’s values, beliefs, ethics and culture influence decisions and relationships. An ability to demonstrate exemplary behaviour and curiosity regarding the perspectives of others, results in appropriate boundaries and insightful practice.

• Responsive Learning is facilitated through multiple approaches to encourage a deepening and expanding of skill sets with a view to continuing to build expertise that result in improved individual and organization outcomes.

• Information Seeking implies going beyond the questions that are routine or required in the job. It may include “digging” or pressing for exact information; resolution of discrepancies by asking a series of questions; or less-focused environmental “scanning” for potential opportunities or miscellaneous information that may be of future use.

• Planning, Organizing and Co-ordinating involves proactively planning, establishing priorities, and allocating resources. It is expressed by developing and implementing increasingly complex plans. It also involves monitoring and adjusting work to accomplish goals and deliver to the organization's mandate.

• Conflict Management (Reduces and Resolves Conflict in a Proactive Manner) involves working to resolve conflict when the conflict directly impacts on achievement of work objectives. Anticipates and acts to mitigate/reduce potential conflict management and to reduce and resolve conflict at the outset, by encouraging continued. Open, two–way communications.

• Handling crisis involves effectively managing risks and crises and handling public relations

Other Requirements:

• Required to use own vehicle. Valid Class 5 Driver’s License, Driver’s Abstract and a reliable and safe vehicle.

• Subject to a positive reference check.

• Successful completion of security screening requirements of Métis Family Services, which includes a criminal records check, and/or Criminal Records Review Act (CRRA) check, police record checks, enhanced security screening and degree verification.

• Satisfactory proof of legal authorization to work in Canada.

Wages: Step 1 $32.50 – Step 4 $36.00 per hour (New hires will be started at Step 1 of the wage range). This position may also be eligible for the childcare wage enhancement of $6/hr.

This is a non-union management position.

Benefits:

• Extended Health
• Dental
• Paid vacation
• 100% paid individual benefits
• Municipal Pension Plan
• Cultural training and learning opportunities
• Staffing hours are between 7:30 am and 5:30 pm
• Circle of Security Classroom Training
• Cultural training and learning opportunities

Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30 - 4:00 PM (35 hours/week)

Start date: As soon as possible.

Please apply for this position from our website at the following link https://www.Métisfamilyservices.ca/opportunities

Métis Family Services thanks all applicants for their interest in this career opportunity; however, only those considered for the position will be contacted. No telephone inquiries please.

Experience

Required

• 5 year(s): Five (5) years of recent related experience, managing a childcare facility or a combination of relevant experience

Licenses & Certifications

Required

• First Aid cert w Inf CPR
• Inf Todd/Spec Needs Cert
• ECE license

Skills

Required

• Oral written facilitation and int comm skills
• Abilities and exp in developing relationships
• Detail-oriented and strong org. skills
• Knowledge of Child development milestones