Child Development Institute Looking for Director, Early Learning Centres at Toronto, Ontario, Canada Full Time

Who we are

As the need for mental health services grows, Child Development Institute (CDI) continues to be the steadfast support and leading provider of specialized mental health services for children and youth aged 0-18 and their families. All of our services are guided by a strength-based approach that incorporates the family and the community into the journey of supporting children and youth.

Trusted with the mental well-being of our community’s most sensitive members, infants and children, all of our programming is backed by rigorous research. Science is the backbone which informs our work as we evolve alongside the needs of our community.

We are committed to providing services that are respectful of racial, cultural, religious, ethnic and linguistic diversity, as well as sexual orientation, age, gender and family differences. All our services are delivered by a deeply caring and compassionate team focused on guiding children, youth and families along a mental health journey in a safe, respectful and welcoming space.

Who we need

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Director to lead our Early Learning Centre (ELC) team in providing exceptional care and education for young children. As the Director, you will be responsible for the day-to-day operation and administration of the ELC, ensuring compliance with all regulations and legislated standards.

Responsibilities:

• Ensure compliance with all regulations and legislated standards, including Ministry of Education Licensing standards, Toronto Children’s Services Assessment for Quality Improvement, Toronto Public Health guidelines, and College of Early Childhood Educators Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.
• Maintain a safe, healthy, and supportive environment for children, staff, and families.
• Develop effective strategies to engage families and community partners.
• Provide robust, reflective, and responsive leadership.
• Support continuous professional development opportunities for educators.
• Expect and maintain a high level of performance from your staff.
• Ensure program quality through pedagogical leadership.
• Ensure the financial viability of the Early Learning Centre.
• Recruit, hire, train, supervise, and evaluate assigned staff within the mandate of a Collective Agreement.
• Contribute to policies and procedure development, updates, and staff adherence.
• Arrange staff scheduling and coverage as appropriate for service delivery.
• Maintain communication with the Early Learning Centre’s external partners; attend/participate in professional network meetings, conferences, etc.
• Monitor enrollment to ensure the site is at capacity and communicate with Toronto Children’s Services regarding subsidies, waiting lists, and statistics.
• Respond effectively to elevated parent concerns and complaints.
• Recognize, document, and take action in the case of suspected child abuse, illness, or accident.
• Complete serious occurrence reports as required.
• Order supplies with management approval for equipment in all centre areas and ensure the safe operation and timely repairs of equipment, furnishings, etc.
• Ensure a healthy and safe workplace for staff and clients by the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Degree in Early Childhood Education/Early Childhood Management-Leadership Certificate.
• Member in good standing with the College of Early Childhood Education.
• Minimum five (5) years of experience in an early learning/childcare role with all age groups.
• Four (4) years of a leadership role in an Early Childhood setting.
• Sound knowledge in early child development and pedagogy.
• In-depth knowledge of CCEYA (2014), AQI, ELECT, HDLH Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years.
• Experience with the Licensing Process and AQI program assessment.
• Demonstrated strong, practical financial management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to multitask, probe, analyze, and problem-solve issues.
• Knowledge/use of the HiMama Child Care App and Dayforce would be an asset.
• Strong knowledge of MS Office applications (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams) and Adobe.
• Clear Criminal Reference Check/updated Immunization and health check/Standard First Aid Certificate.
• Demonstrated ability to provide and sustain a diverse learning environment that supports the highest program quality, equity, and inclusion for children, staff, and families.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a respectful manner with groups from diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Other Requirements

• All applicants are advised that offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a Vulnerable Sector Check.
• Credential verifications & References required.
• As a condition of employment, you are required to provide updated COVID vaccinations in compliance with CDI Mandatory Vaccination Policy.

Apply now

If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every requirement, we encourage you to apply. While certain qualifications are strictly required, others can be based on a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and knowledge. We can’t promise an interview, but we will consider your full application.

CDI is strongly committed to diversity within its community and welcomes applications from racialized persons/persons of colour, Indigenous People of North America and the world, persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ persons, and those who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas. We are committed to providing equitable opportunities in employment and to providing a workplace which is free from discrimination and harassment. We are equally committed to providing an inclusive and accessible workplace. Applicants requiring accommodations are invited to reach out to us at careers@childdevelop.ca