Assistant Child Care Director

The Central Connecticut Coast YMCA is seeking an Assistant Child Care Director for our Bridgeport YMCA early childhood program. Working closely with the Child Care Director, this position provides direct supervision and support to teaching staff, coordinates daily staffing and classroom operations, assists with licensing and Early Start CT compliance, and helps ensure a safe, nurturing, high-quality experience for children and families.

The Assistant Director will be highly visible in the program, providing staff with coaching, problem-solving support, and day-to-day direction while helping maintain consistent classroom practices and program standards. This role also supports family communication, staff development, documentation, and continuous quality improvement and serves as an on-site program leader in the Director’s absence as assigned.

Essential Functions:

• Provide direct supervision, coaching, training, scheduling, and day-to-day support to assigned child care staff.
• Coordinate daily staffing, classroom coverage, and program routines.
• Monitor classroom practices to ensure active supervision, appropriate ratios, positive behavior guidance, and developmentally appropriate programming.
• Support compliance with Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC) licensing requirements and Early Start CT program standards.
• Assist with required classroom, staff, licensing, and program documentation.
• Respond to routine staff and family questions or concerns and partner with the Child Care Director on more significant matters.
• Support staff onboarding, professional development, performance feedback, and continuous quality improvement.
• Promote a strong culture of youth safety by following and reinforcing YMCA youth protection and abuse prevention practices, appropriate boundaries, and mandated reporting requirements.
• Serve as an on-site program leader in the Director’s absence as assigned.

Candidates must hold or be eligible for Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC) Head Teacher approval for birth through school-age children and meet the education and experience requirements associated with that approval.

Because the Bridgeport program participates in Early Start CT, the successful candidate must also meet OEC Qualified Staff Member (QSM) requirements through one of the applicable education pathways:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Early Childhood Education; or
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in another field with Connecticut State Department of Education ECE teacher certification; or
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in another field plus at least 12 early childhood education credits; or
• Associate degree in Early Childhood Education; or
• Associate degree in another field plus at least 12 early childhood education credits.

Bachelor’s-level QSM eligibility preferred.

Additional requirements:

• Minimum two years of early childhood education experience; staff leadership or supervisory experience preferred.
• Knowledge of child development, classroom operations, curriculum, positive behavior guidance, and OEC licensing requirements.
• Ability to supervise and coach staff, manage day-to-day priorities, and communicate effectively with children, families, and colleagues.
• Pediatric CPR and First Aid within the timeframe required by OEC.
• Completion of required YMCA, OEC, youth protection/abuse prevention, mandated reporter, and Early Start CT training.
• Completion of required ongoing professional development in accordance with OEC and applicable program standards.
• Ability to meet OEC background check, fingerprinting, medical documentation, and Professional Registry requirements.

The Assistant Child Care Director supports the Child Care Director in leading the daily operation of the Bridgeport YMCA’s licensed Early Start CT early childhood program. This position directly supervises and supports teaching staff, coordinates day-to-day classroom and staffing needs, helps maintain licensing and program compliance, and promotes a safe, high-quality environment for children and families.

Central Connecticut Coast YMCA is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.