Jen & Brian Sprafka and Gina Merlitti, the owners of Sunflower Childcare Substitutes have over 70 years of combined experience in childcare. During this time, they have come to the understanding that the day to day routine as a full-time lead in the same classroom space can cause burnout and becoming tiresome for some. That’s how Sunflower Subs came to life; to give those educators a new opportunity to use their skills in a multitude of programs, and keep the industry strong!

Your main responsibility each day is to create a safe and fun environment for children (ages infant through 12 years old) to learn and grow. You will not be stuck in a rut again because your center can change week to week, as well as the age groups you will be supporting.

A few things you need to be a successful substitute...

1. Support a childcare program based on their needs

2. Be an effective classroom manager

3. Be flexible and empathetic 

4. Be an excellent communicator

As a substitute, you can create a schedule that works for you and your family. We know the importance of work/life balance and we created a culture that fosters that idea. You update your weekly preferences on our time tracking app: When I Work. You will also determine the distance you are willing to travel. Currently, active substitute teachers are working within an hour of home, and as little as 10 minutes of home. To top it off, we offer higher wages than current childcare centers since YOU are the superhero centers need, and your flexibility and time is an important piece to our success as a company. 

Are you willing to work full-time (30+) and work within an hour of your home? That’s a “Super Sub”!

Each childcare provider is different and so are each of our substitutes, but the one thing we must all believe in is our core values. 

Build Trust: We prioritize building trust through transparency, quality communication, and consistent support, ensuring a positive and dependable environment for both our team and the centers we're partnered with.

Be Supportive: We foster a culture of support by actively listening, offering encouragement, and providing resources to help our team and childcare centers thrive together.

Bring Adaptability: Our commitment to bringing adaptability means embracing change with a limber mindset, creative problem-solving, and an open mind allowing us to meet the evolving needs of our centers with confidence. 

We hire teachers with experience in early childhood education, so our training is hands-on and faster than what you would receive as a direct hire in a center. You will participate in a mix of at-home and in-person trainings that will last 3-5 days. The at-home portion (proper OCCRRA training, background check, medical) will be done prior to your in-person training. You can start working in centers the same week you complete your in-person training. 

Once you’re actively working and complete your 90-days, you are eligible to take advantage of our referral program. Refer a candidate and they complete an interview: $5 gift card. If they are hired, you get a $25 gift card. Once they begin working at centers, you earn a small amount for each hour they work in a center ("billable hours") for as long as you BOTH are active substitutes. There is no limit to the number of referrals; That’s a weekly bonus on top of your weekly paycheck!

As we said before, communication is so important, but we also respect your work/life balance. To be on the same page, we have a few ways to keep in touch. Our main avenue of communication is the app, Slack. It’s quick, easy, and simple- with 1-on-1 messaging with our leadership team. We also send out weekly memos via email to the whole team with save the dates and other pertinent information. Our in-person staff meetings are quarterly (and paid) and will be scheduled and communicated in advance. We are available to speak with you via phone if you prefer that at any time.

If you are ready to travel locally and explore a variety of childcare programs in our community while earning more and gaining new experiences, we urge you to apply. Our interview process is done remotely, with Ms. Melanie, so we can get a day and time set quickly to start the process. We look forward to talking to you soon and appreciate you taking the time to learn more about who Sunflower Childcare Substitutes are.