Infant Assistant Teacher

At Magical Beginnings, we believe every child deserves a safe, nurturing, and engaging start to their educational journey. With care, we care - and that belief is at the heart of everything we do. As a trusted leader in early childhood education, our award-winning childcare and preschool centers create joyful learning environments where infants, toddlers, and preschoolers thrive socially, emotionally, and developmentally.

We're currently seeking an experienced and compassionate Infant Assistant Teacher to join our Upper Village center. This is an exciting opportunity for an early childhood education professional who understands that even the smallest moments can make a meaningful difference in a baby's development. If you love building trusting relationships with infants, recognizing their individual cues, planning engaging sensory experiences, and creating a classroom where every baby feels safe, supported, and encouraged to explore, we'd love to meet you.

As an Infant Assistant Teacher, you'll support a nurturing infant classroom where responsive caregiving, meaningful interactions, and developmentally appropriate learning experiences are part of every day. You'll work closely with our Lead Teacher to plan and implement individualized, play-based learning experiences that support early cognitive, physical, sensory, language, and social-emotional development. You'll also collaborate with classroom team members, partner closely with families, and ensure your classroom meets the highest standards of safety, quality, and compliance with New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) regulations and center quality standards.

Role Requirements:

• Must meet New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) qualifications for a Lead Infant Teacher position in a licensed childcare center.

• Child Development Associate (CDA), Associate's Degree, or Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or a related field required, subject to applicable New York State qualification requirements.

• Previous experience working with infants in a licensed childcare center, daycare, or early childhood education setting required.

• Previous experience leading an infant classroom, developing lesson plans, and implementing developmentally appropriate learning experiences preferred.

• Strong understanding of infant development, including early attachment, sensory exploration, emerging communication, motor development, and individual developmental milestones.

• Ability to create individualized, age-appropriate lesson plans that use responsive caregiving, observation, music, movement, sensory materials, books, and play to support each infant's growth.

• Knowledge of safe sleep practices, infant feeding procedures, diapering, sanitation, and health and safety standards in an infant classroom.

• Ability to recognize and respond appropriately to infants' individual cues, including hunger, fatigue, overstimulation, and the need for comfort or connection.

• Ability to maintain compliance with New York State OCFS childcare licensing regulations, supervision requirements, and required teacher-to-child ratios.

• Excellent communication, teamwork, organizational, and family partnership skills, including the ability to share meaningful updates about infants' daily experiences and developmental progress.

• Ability to actively care for infants throughout the day, including lifting and carrying infants, bending, kneeling, sitting on the floor, and participating in indoor and outdoor activities.

• Must be available to work a full-time schedule, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of all required New York State background clearances and regulatory requirements, including fingerprinting, criminal history review, and Statewide Central Register (SCR) clearance. Candidates must also meet all applicable health, immunization, and training requirements in accordance with New York State OCFS regulations.

As a Lead Toddler Teacher, you will be responsible for:

• Planning and implementing developmentally appropriate infant curriculum and individualized learning experiences that reflect each child's age, developmental stage, emerging abilities, interests, and individual needs.

• Creating thoughtful lesson plans that incorporate sensory exploration, music, movement, books, tummy time, supported physical exploration, early communication, and other age-appropriate experiences.

• Establishing a warm, secure, and responsive classroom environment where infants develop trust, attachment, curiosity, and confidence through consistent, nurturing interactions.

• Observing infants closely and using their cues, interests, and developmental milestones to adapt activities and plan meaningful next steps in their learning.

• Supporting early language and communication development through talking, singing, reading, imitation, responsive conversation, and consistent verbal interaction throughout daily routines.

• Encouraging age-appropriate physical development, including opportunities for reaching, grasping, rolling, crawling, pulling up, and exploring movement as appropriate for each infant.

• Leading daily classroom routines, including feeding, bottle preparation and handling in accordance with policy, diapering, soothing, naps, safe sleep practices, sensory activities, and transitions.

• Maintaining continuous supervision and following all applicable safe sleep, feeding, sanitation, health, and safety procedures, as well as New York State OCFS teacher-to-child ratios.

• Maintaining accurate daily records, including feeding and diapering information, sleep routines, developmental observations, and other required family communications.

• Building trusting partnerships with families through consistent, compassionate communication about their infants' daily experiences, emerging skills, developmental progress, and individual care needs.

• Guiding and collaborating with Assistant Teachers and classroom support staff to maintain consistent caregiving practices, individualized learning experiences, and a positive classroom environment.

• Maintaining a clean, organized, and sanitized infant classroom with safe, engaging, developmentally appropriate materials and learning spaces.

• Preparing and organizing lesson plans, classroom materials, and sensory experiences that encourage exploration while prioritizing each infant's safety, comfort, and developmental readiness.

• Ensuring compliance with all New York State OCFS childcare licensing requirements, company policies, and quality standards for infant care and early childhood education.

• Supporting a positive childcare center culture that reflects professionalism, teamwork, inclusivity, and a shared commitment to providing exceptional care and education for infants and their families.

What Magical Beginnings offers you:

• Paid sick time
• 13 paid holidays*, plus a guaranteed paid week-long winter break
• Paid snow days and vacation time*
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance*
• Long-term disability
• Company-paid life insurance with additional voluntary coverage
• Parental leave
• Child care discount ($25/day)
• Weekly pay and direct deposit
• Referral and enrollment bonuses
• Classroom tablets
• A budget for classroom supplies
• Paid classroom planning time
• Mentor program
• Teacher appreciation events
• Team building activities
• School community outreach projects

*Available to full-time employees only