ECE STEP

To help you better understand the STEP program, we have compiled a list of frequently asked questions and answers here.

What are the minimum requirements to be a STEP Substitute Teacher?

0-6 units of ECE (early childhood education) units and interested in working with children ages 0 to 5. If you are going to work with infants or toddlers, you need to have infant and toddler units as well.

What is the age requirement to be a STEP Substitute Teacher?

18 years old and up.

How old are the children that I will be working with?

Ages between 0-5 years old. (Infants, toddlers, and preschool groups).

What is the pay for a STEP Substitute Teacher?

It ranges from $18.25 to $23, depending on educational and permit level. For those that work in San Francisco, they are eligible to receive an additional CARES 3.0 stipend if they work at least 20 hours a week on average. This ranges roughly from $7,500 to $15,000 per year.

What benefits do I receive if I get hired with STEP?

MRA (Medical Reimbursement Account), PTO (Paid Time Off) and prorated holidays. For every hour you work, you will accrue $0.04615 PTO hours and receive $3.50 MRA funds. You also receive paid trainings, tuition reimbursement, internal 1 on 1 English tutoring, seniority bonus, and transportation stipend (if you work more than 20 hours a week).

What professional development opportunities and support do STEP provide?

We provide ongoing paid trainings, coaching, learning community, education and career counseling. We have experienced internal and external trainers in the ECE field. Each year we provide trainings that align with California and Head Start standards.

How soon can I start working after I receive a job offer?

It all depends how soon you submit the required hiring documents. We require you to have fingerprinting clearance and obtain health screening report, TB test, MMR, Tdap, COVID-19 immunization records, and flu shots. Then after you are cleared, we schedule you for orientation.

How many hours can I work per week? Would it be the same for every location?

It ranges from 16 to 40 hours, depending on your availability and the needs of the childcare centers. Working days are Mondays through Fridays during regular business hours.

What are the non profit childcare centers/partner agencies I can work at?

Across the San Francisco Bay Area including San Francisco, East Bay, San Mateo and South Bay such as: -Kai Ming Head Start -Mission Neighborhood Centers -Compass Family Services -Wah Mei School -Wu Yee Children’s Services -Spanish Speaking Unity Council -YMCA of San Francisco and more...

How often will I get job requests and when will I be needed?

Our system works like Uber. After you are hired, you create a profile in our website and you put your availability there. Our partner agencies/non profit childcare centers will book you if they need a substitute teacher. There is no reject or accept button when you receive a booking. You have to input your availability knowing you can go to work, unless it is an emergency.

What happened if I cannot accept the job request?

You should only input availability based on the days you are free. Please make sure you can work before inputting your schedule. Please immediately email or call the school center to let them know you cannot accept the job booking. Dont forget to also email our admin team so we can assist if needed.

Does my pay increase as I work through with STEP?

Yes, when you receive a higher permit or education level. We have a Talent Development Manager that can guide you through the process.

Do I need to speak fluent English to apply?

We would like you to speak basic English, able to say hello to children and teachers. We have staff who speak Chinese (Cantonese & Mandarin), Vietnamese, Tagalog, and Spanish.

Is there any full time opportunity for me in the future?

Yes, you could get hired by one of our partner agencies after you complete 500 hours with STEP.

What if I have more questions about STEP?

You can call us at: 415-960-1351 or email us at: info@ecestep.org.

How can I become a partner agency with STEP?

Submit a request on our website: www.ecestep.org and click the “Sign Up” button. Or you can email us at info@ecestep.org.

How can I be sure that Substitute Teachers you send me are actually qualified?

STEP will interview, conduct references, run a background check, and obtain a complete health and immunization record on all of our new hires before they can start working. We also verify and ensure the new hires have completed their ECE units, if any. All Substitute Teachers will go through a series of ongoing trainings and professional development opportunities. In addition, you have access to review each available teachers profile including their qualification information before booking.

How fast can STEP fulfill a job request for a Substitute Teacher?

When you book a substitute teacher, an instant confirmation will be sent to a substitute via app notification, email, and text message. They will arrive to your center according to the time you booked them for. As for last minute bookings, we will try our best to search for a substitute for you based on availability.

How much do I need to pay to request Substitute Teachers with STEP?

We charge way less than for profit childcare staffing companies. We have an affordable and non profit model. Please contact us for more details.

If I like the STEP Substitute Teachers placed at my childcare centers, can we hire them?

Yes, but both the partner agency and the substitute teacher have to meet at least 500 hour requirement with our STEP program depending the agency size. Then the substitute teacher can be hired into the partner agency at no cost. If not, a $5,000 placement fee will be charged to recoup our recruitment cost.

What if I have more questions about STEP?

You can call us at: 415-594-7400 or email us at: info@ecestep.org. Well be happy to answer any questions!

To help you better understand the STEP program, we have compiled a list of frequently asked questions and answers here.

What are the minimum requirements to be a STEP Substitute Teacher?

What is the age requirement to be a STEP Substitute Teacher?

18 years old and up.

How old are the children that I will be working with?

Ages between 0-5 years old. (Infants, toddlers, and preschool groups).

What is the pay for a STEP Substitute Teacher?

What benefits do I receive if I get hired with STEP?

What professional development opportunities and support do STEP provide?

How soon can I start working after I receive a job offer?

How many hours can I work per week? Would it be the same for every location?

It ranges from 16 to 40 hours, depending on your availability and the needs of the childcare centers. Working days are Mondays through Fridays during regular business hours.

What are the non profit childcare centers/partner agencies I can work at?

How often will I get job requests and when will I be needed?

What happened if I cannot accept the job request?

Does my pay increase as I work through with STEP?

Yes, when you receive a higher permit or education level. We have a Talent Development Manager that can guide you through the process.

Do I need to speak fluent English to apply?

We would like you to speak basic English, able to say hello to children and teachers. We have staff who speak Chinese (Cantonese & Mandarin), Vietnamese, Tagalog, and Spanish.

Is there any full time opportunity for me in the future?

Yes, you could get hired by one of our partner agencies after you complete 500 hours with STEP.

What if I have more questions about STEP?

You can call us at: 415-960-1351 or email us at: info@ecestep.org.

How can I become a partner agency with STEP?

Submit a request on our website: www.ecestep.org and click the “Sign Up” button. Or you can email us at info@ecestep.org.

How can I be sure that Substitute Teachers you send me are actually qualified?

How fast can STEP fulfill a job request for a Substitute Teacher?

How much do I need to pay to request Substitute Teachers with STEP?

We charge way less than for profit childcare staffing companies. We have an affordable and non profit model. Please contact us for more details.

If I like the STEP Substitute Teachers placed at my childcare centers, can we hire them?

What if I have more questions about STEP?

You can call us at: 415-594-7400 or email us at: info@ecestep.org. Well be happy to answer any questions!

935 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94103

415-594-7400

info@ecestep.org