Child Care & Food Services Assistant - City of Toronto, Toronto

About the Role

The City of Toronto's Children's Services division is seeking dedicated Child Care & Food Services Assistants to join their team. This vital role supports early learning and child care centres across various areas of Toronto, ensuring a safe, nurturing, and engaging environment for children up to four years of age. You will play a dual role, assisting children in their daily routines and contributing significantly to the centre's food services, from preparation to serving nutritious meals.

This is a full-time, permanent opportunity with 10 vacancies, offering a chance to make a meaningful impact on the lives of children and families within the community. The role requires a strong ability to work collaboratively and adhere to health and safety protocols, including those related to COVID-19.

Responsibilities

As a Child Care & Food Services Assistant, your responsibilities will encompass both direct child care support and comprehensive food service management, ensuring compliance with the Child Care & Early Years Act and Toronto Public Health procedures. Key duties include:

• Assisting and guiding children in their routines including indoor/outdoor play, care routines, mealtimes, toileting, diapering etc.
• Assisting with set-up of play areas as planned by the Early Childhood educators.
• Assisting with clean-up of children's activities and learning areas after snacks and meals and sanitizing as per Toronto Public Health guidelines.
• Assisting with completion of forms, documenting children's routines, accidents etc.
• Assisting with monitoring of children on the playground, ensuring their health and safety.
• Assisting in escorting children on trips outside of the childcare centres.
• Monitoring small groups of children at various times of the day.
• Interacting with children, parents, colleagues and visitors in a professional manner.
• Attending staff meetings, in-service training.
• Answering telephones and taking messages according to City of Toronto telephone practices.
• Preparing snacks, meals and beverages by cleaning, peeling, mincing, cutting, chopping, mixing, assembling, portioning, measuring ingredients, packaging and labelling etc.
• Serving food according to portion control and serving temperature guidelines for all age groups.
• Receiving, checking, recording, sorting, storing and retrieving food; cleaning; paper and other supplies to and from proper storage areas. Lifts and carries items. Maintains storage areas.
• Taking temperature of refrigerators, freezers and dishwasher and reporting temperatures that are not in the proper range to the supervisor.
• Rotating food according to First-in/First-out (FIFO) method and expiry dates; maintaining regular inventory and emergency supplies; and informing supervisor on purchasing requirements.
• Loading carts with dishes, utensils, containers and trays necessary for service and delivering to dining and service areas.
• Collecting and disposing of leftovers and waste from these areas.
• Cleaning and clearing tables at the beginning and completion of meals and removing all dirty dishes, flatware, pots and pans to washing area.
• Cleaning and sanitizing kitchen equipment and appliances such as ovens streamers, skillets, etc. Washing, cleaning and sanitizing all kitchen counters, tables, bins, refrigerators, freezers, dishwasher, dining room furniture, shelves, carts, trolleys, and any equipment used in the preparation of food and in serving areas.
• Selecting and mixing all required cleaning solutions according to WHMIS Legislation and Health and Safety Codes and wearing PPE where indicated.
• Washing all dishes, flatware, pots and pans using dishwashers, pot washers, and/or sink. Checking and documenting temperatures, ensuring they are at appropriate ranges for these activities.
• Washing linens used for children's programming (e.g. bibs, facecloths, bedding) and for food preparation and service (e.g. aprons, towels) in the washing machine.
• Sorting and disposing of garbage according to the recycling program in effect. Bagging, removing and transporting garbage to disposal areas.
• Maintaining garbage cans and bins in a clean and sanitary manner.
• Notifying supervisor or designate of necessary maintenance repairs and any unsafe conditions.
• Locking doors, windows and/or rooms to ensure area is secure.

What You'll Bring

To succeed in this role, you will need a blend of practical experience in both food services and child care, along with a strong ability to work effectively in a team environment and adhere to regulatory guidelines. Your application should highlight the following qualifications:

• Experience in preparing and serving food for large groups in an institutional or other food service setting.
• Experience working with children in a group setting and caring for the individual needs of children up to 4 years of age in either a volunteer or employment capacity.

Additionally, candidates must possess:

• Ability to maintain effective working relationships with staff and clients.
• Ability to use computers, access and complete online training modules.
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to support and implement change reflective of the City of Toronto's Action plan for Confronting Anti-Black Racism.
• Ability and willingness to provide service that enhances and respects a work culture that values diversity and is inclusive of all clients and staff.
• Must have a valid email address and be able to communicate on a regular basis through email.
• Strong ability to work effectively as a team member and accurately follow instructions.
• General knowledge of the Child Care and Early Years Act, Child and Family Services Act with the ability to apply such legislation in the workplace.
• General knowledge of Toronto Public Health Guidelines relating to child care environments.
• General knowledge of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, WHMIS, the Sanitation Code and the legislation related to this work.
• Ability to perform various cleaning duties.
• Ability to meet the physical demands of the position. Operate, lift and move various equipment, supplies and other heavy items.
• Ability to lift/carry children of various ages and weighing up to 20kgs.
• Ability to assist with and adhere to Health & Safety practices and COVID-19 related protocols including sanitizing, disinfecting, etc.
• Understands the nutritional care needs of children (0 to 4 years of age) following various menus.

What's On Offer

The City of Toronto offers a competitive hourly rate of $28.21 - $30.74 for this full-time, permanent position. You will work 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday, contributing to the Toronto Early Learning & Child Care Services division. This is an excellent opportunity to join a large, diverse organization committed to employment equity and creating an inclusive workplace culture.

Interested candidates can learn more about the Child Care & Food Services Assistant role by participating in virtual information sessions. These sessions provide an opportunity to ask questions related to the position, working with the City of Toronto’s Children’s Services division, and the application process. The City of Toronto is committed to providing barrier-free and accessible employment practices, offering accommodation through the recruitment process upon request.