About the position: This position will be assigned to the Donna Head Child Development Center, Air Force Academy, Colorado.
Department of the Air Force Child & Youth Programs Employee Child Care Discount applicable to this position: 1st Child - 100% Free Childcare
2nd Child - 37% Employee Discount
USAFA Commissary Privileges
Pay will be set based on experience and education and/or certification:
Entry Level: $ 18.51
Intermediate Level: $ 19.62
Target Level: $ 20.80
Summary
About the position: This position will be assigned to the Donna Head Child Development Center, Air Force Academy, Colorado.
Department of the Air Force Child & Youth Programs Employee Child Care Discount applicable to this position: 1st Child - 100% Free Childcare
2nd Child - 37% Employee Discount
USAFA Commissary Privileges
Pay will be set based on experience and education and/or certification:
Entry Level: $ 18.51
Intermediate Level: $ 19.62
Target Level: $ 20.80
The incumbent will serve as a Child and Youth Program Assistant (CYPA) in one or more child and youth programs and will be accountable for the whereabouts and safety of children and youth ranging in age from 6 weeks to 18 years.
Helps establish a program environment and promotes positive child and youth interactions with other children, youth, and adults.
Helps prepare, arrange, and maintain indoor and outdoor activity areas and materials to accommodate the daily schedule.
Interacts professionally with staff members, parents, supervisors, and volunteers.
Supervises children and youth during daily schedule of indoor and outdoor activities, on field trips, outings, and special events.
Promotes and models safety, fitness, health, and nutrition practices.
Cares for special needs children and youth as directed by the supervisor.
Notifies supervisor of health, fire and safety compliance concerns.
Helps arrange for/serve appropriate snacks/meals, where applicable.
Observes program participants for signs that may indicate illness, abuse or neglect and reports as directed.
Notes special instructions provided by parents.
Ensures children and youth (as applicable) depart with an authorized person according to written parental instructions.
Assists in achieving and maintaining DoD certification and national accreditation, where applicable.
Ensures compliance with policies and regulations applicable to Air Force Child and Youth Programs.
CHILD AND YOUTH PROGRAM ASSISTANT (ENTRY LEVEL):
Assists in providing and leading planned activities.
Assist children and youth with special projects, homework and life skills.
Performs simple routine tasks following step-by-step instructions.
Uses prepared curriculum/program materials and assists with developing a list of needed supplies and equipment.
Helps create adult-made games and play materials (i.e., mixing paint, play dough, assembling props, activities, etc.)
Interacts with children and youth using approved child guidance and youth development techniques as provided by the supervisors.
Attends to the physical needs of the children, as applicable.
Assists in maintaining program participation data and completing required daily reports.
Participates in program evaluations as required.
CHILD AND YOUTH PROGRAM ASSISTANT (INTERMEDIATE LEVEL):
Assists in planning, coordinating, and conducting activities for program participants including group as well as individual child and youth activities.
Assists children and youth with special projects, and life skills.
Participates in conferences with parents and staff.
Reviews and implements daily schedules and activity plans to ensure age/stage appropriateness.
Interacts with children and youth using approved child guidance and youth development techniques.
Participates in program evaluations using designated instruments such as programmatic rating scales, risk assessment tools (as required), self-inspection materials and national accreditation tools.
Provides care/supervision, oversight, and accountability for program participants in compliance with local policies, guidance, and standards.
Inventories equipment on a recurring basis and recommends replenishing damaged, missing, and depleted supplies.
Secures supplies, equipment, and facilities.
Collects, maintains, and reports program participation data.
CHILD AND YOUTH PROGRAM ASSISTANT (TARGET LEVEL):
Implements activities and special events that meet the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive needs of children and youth.
Assist children and youth with special projects, homework, and life skills.
Prepares and implements program options for children and youth with special requirements.
Develops and implements schedules and plans.
Demonstrates, instructs, leads, and facilitates planned and spontaneous program activities.
Interacts with children and youth using approved child guidance and youth development techniques.
Participates in conferences with parents and staff.
Briefs other employees and parents.
Participates in program evaluation using designated instruments such as programmatic rating scales, risk assessment tools (as required), self-inspection materials and national accreditation tools.
Provides care/supervision, oversight, and accountability for program participants in compliance with local policies, guidance, and standards.
This position requires satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks in accordance with Air Force and DoD policy, and a Child Care Tier 1 background investigation.
This position has physical lifting requirement which requires the incumbent to complete a favorable pre-employment physical.
This position requires the incumbent to be able to obtain, maintain, and provide evidence of current immunizations this includes annual influenza vaccinations and be free of all communicable diseases.
This position requires the incumbent to complete assigned training, to include Food Handlers certification, within specified time from date hire or assignment to position.
Qualifications
Who May Apply: Open to everyone. Applicants will be categorized by preference(s) and/or priority consideration eligibilities. An applicant's eligibility will be determined based on eligibility claimed in the questionnaire and proof of eligibility MUST be provided with application by the closing date, 03/27/2026
Business Based Action, Military Spouse Preference, Outside Applicant Veteran, Spouse/Widow/Parent of Veteran, and Transition Hiring Preference
In order to qualify, you must meet the experience requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if the position allows for qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application.
Qualifying Experience: ALL LEVELS
Must be at least 18 years of age, hold a high school diploma (or equivalent). Must be able to communicate effectively in English, both orally and in writing.
AND
CY PROGRAM ASSISTANT (ENTRY LEVEL):
This is an entry level position; no previous experience required.
CY PROGRAM ASSISTANT (INTERMEDIATE LEVEL):
Six months experience equivalent to the CY-01 level working in a group program for children or youth AND Completion of 3 AF modules (or equivalent) AND AF Orientation Training Program;
CY PROGRAM ASSISTANT (TARGET LEVEL):
Must possess one of the following:
18 months working in any childcare or youth program.
Completion of DoD approved competency-training courses. Additionally, entry and intermediate level training must be complete and evident by Service-issued documentation.
18 months of experience working in a childcare or youth program, plus possession and maintenance of one of the following directly related to the age group of the position to which assigned: child development associate credential, military school age credential, or other nationally recognized youth development credential.
18 months of experience working in a childcare or youth program, plus an associate degree that includes a major course of study (24 credit hours) with content directly related to the age group to which assigned, from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university.
Possession and maintenance of one of the following directly related to the age group of the position to which assigned: child development associate credential, military school age credential, Army youth practicum or other nationally recognized youth development credential.
A bachelor's degree or at least 120 semester hours with a major course of study (24 credit hours) from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university with content directly related to: early childhood education, child development, youth development, human development, elementary education, special education, elementary education, secondary education, youth program administration, recreation, and physical education.
You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:
Education
Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. This position does allow for education substitution.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying.
Additional information
Individual must fully meet qualification/eligibility/background requirements for this position.
U.S. Citizens and Non-U.S. Nationals who have resided in the U.S. Territory for three (3) or more consecutive years immediately preceding the start of Federal Affiliation or a signed memorandum indicating the installation's decision on the 3-year residency requirement.
Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
Direct deposit is required.
Satisfactorily complete an employment verification (E-Verify) check.
A probationary period may be required.
Pre-employment requirements must be satisfactorily met prior to Entrance on Duty (EOD).
Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government's interest.
Multiple positions may be filled from this job opportunity announcement. And additional selections may also be made from this job opportunity announcement.
Selection(s) are subject to restrictions resulting from hiring preferences and priority consideration eligible.
This is a Nonappropriated Fund (NAF) position carrying out Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) activities for the Air Force and Space Force.
This position is included in a bargaining unit.
Union Name USAFA and Local 1867or Chapter Name 71.
Applicants must be able to provide a REAL ID or present a combination of source identity documents authorized to facilitate access to the installation. Please contact the servicing HR Office with any questions.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your resume and supporting document will be evaluated against the qualifications of the position.
Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination has been made that you have inflated your responses to meet the position's qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.
You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.
To better expedite the hiring process, we recommend including full contact information (name, address, phone number, email, etc.,) for professional and personal references on your resume.
Required documents may vary based on the eligibility you are claiming (i.e., applying as a Military Spouse Preference - MSP, applying as a veteran, applying as a current federal employees, applying as a displaced employee, etc.,). The below document(s) are required and MUST be submitted with your application by the closing date of this job announcement:
Diploma/ GED
Resume
Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support identified the general or specialized experience described in this announcement. If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
Other accepted documents to support a qualification and/or claimed preference/priority eligibility may include:
Cover Letter
DD-214/ Statement of Service
Diploma/ GED
Disability Letter (VA)
License
Other (1)
Other (2)
PCS Orders
Professional Certification
Proof of Marriage Status
Resume
Separation Notice (RIF)
SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
Transcript
As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and supporting documents which prove your claimed eligibility. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.
NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package to include supplemental documents may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.
To be considered for this vacancy you must apply and complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 03/27/2026 to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJobs account to apply. If you do not have a USAJobs account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package and submit the application. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJobs account and designate the document type when submitting your application. Failure to complete this portion will result in an incomplete application package and you will not be further considered for this vacancy.
It is your responsibility to ensure your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date.
To verify or check the status of your application, log into your USAJobs account. Once logged in, the Welcome screen lists your applications, your application status and the date it was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status
USAFA Child Development Center
10 FSS/FSCN
5136 Eagle Drive
USAF Academy, CO 80840-2620
US
Next steps
If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Times may vary during the hiring process, as your application status updates/changes you will be notified with a notification letter via email.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Required documents may vary based on the eligibility you are claiming (i.e., applying as a Military Spouse Preference - MSP, applying as a veteran, applying as a current federal employees, applying as a displaced employee, etc.,). The below document(s) are required and MUST be submitted with your application by the closing date of this job announcement:
Diploma/ GED
Resume
Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support identified the general or specialized experience described in this announcement. If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
Other accepted documents to support a qualification and/or claimed preference/priority eligibility may include:
Cover Letter
DD-214/ Statement of Service
Diploma/ GED
Disability Letter (VA)
License
Other (1)
Other (2)
PCS Orders
Professional Certification
Proof of Marriage Status
Resume
Separation Notice (RIF)
SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
Transcript
As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and supporting documents which prove your claimed eligibility. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.
NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package to include supplemental documents may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.
To be considered for this vacancy you must apply and complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 03/27/2026 to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJobs account to apply. If you do not have a USAJobs account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package and submit the application. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJobs account and designate the document type when submitting your application. Failure to complete this portion will result in an incomplete application package and you will not be further considered for this vacancy.
It is your responsibility to ensure your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date.
To verify or check the status of your application, log into your USAJobs account. Once logged in, the Welcome screen lists your applications, your application status and the date it was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status
USAFA Child Development Center
10 FSS/FSCN
5136 Eagle Drive
USAF Academy, CO 80840-2620
US
Next steps
If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Times may vary during the hiring process, as your application status updates/changes you will be notified with a notification letter via email.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
