Head Start Early Childhood Director

YWCA Columbus seeks career-driven professionals who value being a positive role model for all children, including the most vulnerable. We hire high-quality staff and provide extensive orientations, free ongoing professional development, support, and evaluation.

Our childcare programs build consistency between home and school. We engage parents, school staff, and children to develop reliable strategies for academic success and behavior management and support. Through our close partnerships with the schools in which we operate, we provide choice-based learning emphasizing social-emotional learning and development, reading, science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM), and physical development. Additionally, our trauma-informed environment helps children be successful, involved learners.

Our educators maintain ODJFS Step Up to Quality standards and training requirements of up to 30 hours of professional development each year. YWCA Columbus encourages staff members to model what it looks like to be a lifelong learner by supporting training efforts and professional development interests.

The YWCA
Safe & Sound Child Care Center
, housed at the Family Center since October 2005, is a state-licensed five-star Step Up to Quality-rated program. We provide high-quality care and education to homeless children six weeks to 13 years of age as their parents spend their days searching for employment and permanent housing. Homelessness comes with a lot of transition and exposure to traumatic-related events that cause children to be delayed in their development and learning.

We provide trauma-informed care in an environment that focuses on the child’s social and emotional needs.

Our staff have more than 50 years of combined experience in early childhood. Most staff have a degree or possess a CDA Credential. To further support their professional growth, staff attend 30 hours of training every two years and participate in staff professional development days several times each year.

YWCA Kids Place has more than 30 years of experience providing affordable, dependable, high-quality, year-round child care for families in the Gahanna and Westerville school districts. Our programs are conveniently located in your child’s elementary school to promote consistency and continuity for your child’s transition from school to Kids Place.

Kids Place educators are responsible for maintaining ODJFS standards and training requirements and completing Step Up to Quality-approved professional development hours. YWCA Columbus encourages staff members to model what it looks like to be a lifelong learner by supporting training efforts and professional development interests.

Work in an environment where you can impact the lives of others each and every day

We pay for you to maintain licensed training in First Aid, CPR, Child Abuse Recognition, Communicable Diseases and all required certifications

Medical, dental, vision insurance to eligible individuals

Retirement plan and 401k for eligible employees

Discounted child care for your children

Join a team of dedicated professionals who genuinely care about the people they serve

At YWCA Columbus, we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, gender, disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry, or national origin. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.