Center Aide - Head Start & Early Head Start

Job Summary and Responsibilities/Duties

For best consideration, please submit application materials by September 25, 2026. To be considered for this role, please submit a complete application including Employment History, Resume & Cover Letter.

Job Summary

Assists with conducting the day-to-day Head Start Preschool and Early Head Start programs by working in multiple classrooms and performing other duties to support the operation of the center. Provides classroom coverage for staff breaks and planning. Provides support for meal services and other basic administrative supports. Meets performance standards, and follows the agency and licensing policies, procedures, rules, and regulations.

Essential Duties

1. Assists in carrying out classroom schedule and daily routines and implementing planned classroom curriculum.
2. Assists in preparing activities, maintaining supplies, and equipment.
3. Assists with cleaning and maintenance as required by the site.
4. Assists with supervising and ensuring the safety of children within the Head Start Preschool and Early Head Start programs. Assists children with learning routines, social skills, and positive interaction through positive guidance.
5. Prepares food for meals in a safe and sanitary environment following local and CACFP regulations.
6. Helps with setting up the meals in the classroom and with meal clean up.
7. Provides basic administrative support within the center.

Additional Duties

1. Administers medications, and diapers as needed.
2. Participates on various committees and projects as directed.
3. Performs all other duties as assigned.

Minimum and Desired Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Ability to carry out oral and written directions, read, write and speak at a level sufficient to fulfill the duties to be performed for the position described
• Experience working with the backgrounds of the College's community, students, and employees

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with young children
• Bilingual skills in English and another language that meets program and/or community needs

Additional Qualifications

• Must be enrolled in the Oregon Central Background Registry prior to beginning employment and enrollment must be maintained throughout employment
• Post-offer fitness for duty evaluation, must be obtained within 30 days of hire date:
• TB screening
• Health appraisal
• Complete required Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) licensing within 30 days of hire
• Must possess or obtain current Infant/Child First Aid/CPR certification within 60 days of hire
• Must possess or obtain Food Handlers Certificate within 30 days of hire

Working Conditions and Important Information

Job Details

Employee Group: Oregon School Employees Association (OSEA) Classification: OSEA Range 5 Employment Type: Full-Time, Partial Year.80384 FTE - Program runs August - June FLSA Status: Non-Exempt (Hourly) Compensation: $17.70-$18.69 Per Hour Schedule: 40 hours per week, Monday – Friday Remote Eligibility: On-Site (Not eligible for remote work)

Working Conditions

Physical Requirements: Ability to lift/carry up to 50 lbs. a distance of 10 feet. Ability to push/pull up to 50 lbs. a distance of 10 yards. Sufficient mobility and range of motion to perform repetitive standing, walking, balancing, stooping, bending, crouching, crawling, sitting on the floor, reaching, squatting, kneeling, and twisting for up to 8 hours per day. Sufficient stamina to perform job duties at frequency required. Ability to react quickly to the physical actions of children. Sufficient vision and hearing to perform job duties. Sufficient manual dexterity and eye-hand coordination to perform job duties.

Exposure to Hazards: Unpredictable child and family behavior, hazardous chemicals, contagious conditions, work with office equipment. Working conditions include indoor/outdoor environments, preschool center classrooms, playgrounds, and offices.

Salary Placement

Initial salary placement will be based on applicable education and/or years of relevant full-time equivalent experience at the sole discretion of the College, per the guidelines in the Collective Bargaining Agreement and in accordance with all applicable state and federal laws. Please include all relevant education and full and part-time experience (including unpaid and volunteer experience) in your application that you want the College to review towards potential placement. Hired employees will not have an opportunity to update past education and/or experience or appeal initial placement after the time of hire.

Benefits

The following is a brief description of the benefits offered by Mt. Hood Community, this is intended to be a summary only - any errors or omissions are unintentional. Please refer to benefit booklets, plan documents, college policy and regulations for more detailed information.

College Paid Benefits Health Benefit Options MHCC is a member of the Oregon Educators Benefit Board (OEBB) which administers Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D), Long Term Disability (LTD) and Employee Assistance Plan (EAP). The effective date of employer-provided benefits is the beginning of the month after the employee's date of hire at MHCC, unless otherwise indicated. MHCC will only pay the premium portion for medical, dental and vision coverage for your spouse/domestic partner and/or eligible dependents if they are not covered under another policy. If you elect to have double coverage for a spouse/domestic partner or eligible dependent, you will be required to have the premium associated with the double coverage deducted out of your payroll check each month. Retirement Exception: The College will waive the double coverage premiums when an employee is adding a spouse/domestic partner and/or eligible dependents during open enrollment prior to the employee's anticipated retirement date for that plan year.

Other College Paid Insurances

• Life Insurance Coverage = $50,000
• Accidental Death & Dismemberment(AD&D) Coverage = $50,000
• Long Term Disability (LTD)

Approved benefit claims begin after 90-day elimination period. Maximum benefit is 66 2/3 of monthly salary; benefit may be adjusted based on other income received by retirement benefits.

Public Employees Retirement Plan (PERS)

On behalf of the employee, MHCC contributes 6% of their gross salary into an Individual Account Program (IAP) with PERS. At the time of retirement, based on one of the following programs, a monthly pension benefit is calculated. Please refer the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) website for detailed information on retirement benefits:

• Public Employees Retirement System – Tier One/Tier Two Hired by a PERS employer before August 28, 2003 and have an active account.
• Oregon Public Service Retirement Plan - OPSRP Hired on or after August 28, 2003 and do not have active account in the PERS Program.

Tuition Waiver Plan

Full time employees, their spouses, domestic partners and children through the age of 23 who qualify as legal dependents will be entitled to tuition-free enrollment in MHCC courses. All fees are the responsibility of the employee. The employer will pay the following fees for hiring requirements and renewals: health appraisal, First Aid/CPR, Recognizing Reporting Child Abuse & Neglect, CDL, School Bus License, CDA application fees and Food Handler's Card, as authorized through designated provider. The employer will pay for the initial enrollment and the cost of renewal in the Criminal Background Registry for all eligible employees.

Part-time hourly employees who worked a minimum of four hundred (400) hours in the immediate past fiscal year (July-June), and who reasonably expect to continue at that same level of employment, are eligible for a three (3) credit waiver during each term of employment.

Part-time hourly employees (non-substitute employees) may apply for optional training through the employer's Child Care Resource and Referral program. If approved, up to two (2) classes will be made available per year at no cost to the employee. These training programs are on non-paid time.

Substitute employees who have completed fifty (50) hours of work in a fiscal year may apply for one (1) optional training class per year through Child Care Resource and Referral program at no cost to