A quality learning center located in Rapid City, South Dakota - where we nurture and inspire every child to reach their full potential in a safe, inclusive, and stimulating environment. Our full-time childcare center offers the finest facilities available for children aged 6 weeks to school-aged. Our preschool program is designed for 3- to 5-year-olds to prepare them for their all-important school years ahead. We offer an extensive school-age program for after school and planned activities to keep them busy with age-appropriate groupings. Highlights/Quick Facts: All-Inclusive Tuition Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum Nutritious Meals and Snacks Qualified, Caring, and Experienced Staff Safe & Secure Our vision is simple, to be the most nurturing environment for children and the most trusted by parents. Every day, we recommit ourselves to the future by focusing on the needs of our children through age-appropriate activities in a loving and safe setting.

Infant Room Lead Teacher

Impact Kidz Academy | Rapid City, SD

Full-Time | Monday–Friday | 8:30 AM–5:30 PM

1-hour lunch break

Pay: $15–$20/hour, depending on education and experience

About Impact Kidz Academy

Impact Kidz Academy is a children-first childcare and preschool program committed to providing a safe, nurturing, and developmentally supportive environment where every child feels loved, valued, and cared for.

Our infant room is one of the most important classrooms in our center. Infants need consistency, warmth, safety, responsiveness, and meaningful relationships with caregivers who understand early development. We are looking for an experienced Infant Room Lead Teacher who is dependable, nurturing, organized, and ready to lead an infant classroom with excellence.

This is a great opportunity for someone who is passionate about infant care, committed to early childhood education, and looking for a long-term role with room to grow.

Position Summary

The Infant Room Lead Teacher is responsible for leading the daily care, supervision, routines, safety, and developmental experiences of infants in the classroom. This person will create a calm, loving, clean, and well-organized classroom environment while building strong relationships with infants, families, and team members.

The ideal candidate understands that infant care is much more than feeding and diapering. It includes creating secure attachments, following safe sleep practices, supporting developmental milestones, maintaining excellent communication with families, and ensuring the classroom runs smoothly throughout the day.

Because this is a lead position, we are looking for someone with previous nursery or infant classroom experience in a childcare setting and a work history that shows reliability, commitment, and follow-through.

Schedule

This is a full-time position.

Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–5:30 PM

Lunch: 1-hour unpaid lunch break

Expected hours: Approximately 40 hours per week

Pay

$15–$20 per hour, depending on education, training, childcare experience, infant/nursery experience, and overall qualifications.

Key Responsibilities

Infant Care, Supervision, and Safety

The Infant Room Lead Teacher will:

• Provide warm, attentive, nurturing, and responsive care to infants throughout the day.
• Maintain active supervision of infants at all times.
• Ensure infants are never left unattended on changing tables, in highchairs, on the floor, in cribs, or in any classroom area.
• Maintain required staff-to-child ratios and immediately communicate with leadership if additional support is needed.
• Follow all safe sleep practices, including placing infants under one year of age on their backs to sleep, using approved sleep surfaces, and keeping cribs free of blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, loose bedding, and other unsafe items.
• Monitor sleeping infants closely and follow all center safe sleep procedures.
• Conduct regular classroom safety checks and remove or report any hazards.
• Follow all health, sanitation, emergency, injury, illness, medication, allergy, and incident-reporting procedures.
• Maintain a calm, safe, and secure environment that supports infants’ emotional and physical well-being.

Feeding, Diapering, and Daily Care

The Infant Room Lead Teacher will:

• Feed infants according to each child’s individual schedule and family instructions.
• Hold infants for bottle feeding until they are developmentally able to hold their own bottle.
• Ensure bottles are never propped.
• Properly label, store, warm, and handle breast milk, formula, bottles, and infant foods.
• Communicate with families regarding feedings, bottle intake, new foods, preferences, and changes in routine.
• Change diapers promptly, respectfully, and according to sanitation procedures.
• Follow proper handwashing and cleaning procedures before and after feeding, diapering, and handling bodily fluids.
• Keep each child clean, comfortable, and cared for throughout the day.
• Maintain accurate records of feedings, diaper changes, naps, mood, supplies, and daily care routines.

Development and Learning

The Infant Room Lead Teacher will:

• Create a developmentally appropriate infant classroom that supports growth, exploration, and connection.
• Plan and provide age-appropriate activities that support physical, cognitive, language, sensory, social, and emotional development.
• Provide tummy time, floor play, music, books, sensory activities, mirror play, movement, early communication, and responsive interactions.
• Support developmental milestones such as rolling, reaching, sitting, crawling, standing, babbling, grasping, bonding, and early social engagement.
• Use gentle voices, positive interactions, consistent routines, and responsive caregiving.
• Recognize that each infant develops at their own pace and individualize care accordingly.
• Document observations and communicate developmental progress or concerns with leadership and families as appropriate.

Classroom Leadership

The Infant Room Lead Teacher will:

• Lead the daily flow of the infant classroom with consistency, organization, and professionalism.
• Guide and support assistant teachers, aides, and float staff assigned to the infant room.
• Clearly communicate classroom expectations, child-specific needs, cleaning duties, routines, and safety procedures to support staff.
• Model calm, respectful, nurturing, and professional interactions at all times.
• Maintain a clean, organized, well-stocked, and welcoming classroom.
• Ensure toys, materials, bottles, cribs, sheets, diapering areas, and classroom surfaces are cleaned and sanitized according to procedures.
• Monitor classroom supplies and communicate needs for diapers, wipes, extra clothing, bottles, sheets, and other infant items.
• Partner with leadership to ensure licensing requirements, center policies, and classroom expectations are followed consistently.
• Help create a positive team culture in the infant room.

Family Communication

The Infant Room Lead Teacher will:

• Build trusting and respectful relationships with families.
• Communicate daily with parents/guardians about feedings, naps, diapers, mood, milestones, supplies needed, and any concerns.
• Use Brightwheel or other center communication systems accurately and professionally.
• Provide families with reassurance, warmth, and consistent communication.
• Maintain confidentiality regarding children, families, and staff.
• Communicate concerns to leadership promptly and professionally.
• Support families during transitions into care, developmental changes, schedule adjustments, and classroom moves.

Health, Safety, and Compliance

The Infant Room Lead Teacher will:

• Follow all Impact Kidz Academy policies and South Dakota childcare licensing requirements.
• Complete required orientation and ongoing training within required timelines.
• Maintain current pediatric CPR and first aid certification as required.
• Complete safe sleep training and follow safe sleep expectations at all times.
• Follow mandated reporter responsibilities for suspected child abuse or neglect.
• Maintain accurate daily documentation, including attendance, feedings, diapering, naps, incidents, medications if applicable, and parent communication.
• Support compliance with supervision, ratios, safe sleep, sanitation, allergies, medication procedures, emergency procedures, and confidentiality expectations.

Required Qualifications

Applicants must:

• Be at least 18 years of age.
• Have previous experience working in a nursery or infant classroom setting within a childcare environment.
• Have a work history that demonstrates reliability, commitment, and follow-through in previous positions.
• Be able to pass all required background checks prior to employment.
• Demonstrate the ability to provide safe, nurturing, and developmentally appropriate care for infants.
• Be dependable, punctual, patient, emotionally steady, and professional.
• Be comfortable caring for infants, including feeding, diapering, soothing, safe sleep routines, floor play, and developmental support.
• Be able to communicate professionally with families, coworkers, and leadership.
• Be willing to complete required training and ongoing professional development.
• Be physically able to lift infants, sit on the floor, bend, kneel, carry children, and remain actively engaged throughout the day.
• Maintain confidentiality and professionalism at all times.

Preferred Qualifications

Preference may be given to candidates who have:

• Experience as a lead infant teacher or nursery lead teacher.
• CDA credential, early childhood coursework, or a degree in early childhood education, child development, education, or a related field.
• Current pediatric CPR and first aid certification.
• Current safe sleep training.
• Experience using Brightwheel or another childcare communication platform.
• Experience leading assistant teachers or support staff.
• A strong desire to grow in the early childhood education field.

Professional Growth Opportunity

Impact Kidz Academy values team members who want to grow in the field of early childhood education.

Eligible Impact staff have the opportunity to participate in the Child Development Associate credential program at no cost. This is a great opportunity for team members who want to strengthen their skills, increase their qualifications, and continue building a meaningful career in childcare and early childhood education.

Ideal Candidate

Our ideal Infant Room Lead Teacher is someone who:

• Truly enjoys caring for babies.
• Understands that infants need consistency, routine, safety, and stable relationships with dependable caregivers.
• Has real experience in a nursery or infant childcare setting.
• Has shown commitment and reliability in previous jobs.
• Is looking for a long-term opportunity to grow with Impact Kidz Academy.
• Notices small details and responds quickly to infants’ needs.
• Stays calm and organized even when multiple babies need care at once.
• Is loving, patient, and emotionally steady.
• Communicates well with parents.
• Takes safety, licensing, and documentation seriously.
• Leads by example.
• Wants to be part of a team that is making a meaningful impact in children’s lives.

Why Join Impact Kidz Academy?

At Impact Kidz Academy, you will be part of a team that values children, families, growth, professionalism, and high-quality care. We believe early childhood educators do some of the most important work in the world.

This position is ideal for someone who is not just looking for a job, but looking for a place to make a difference, grow professionally, and provide infants with the loving foundation they need during their earliest years.

How to Apply

Apply through Indeed with your resume and a brief description of your experience working with infants or young children. We are looking for candidates who are ready to love, lead, and make a lasting impact in the lives of children.