Home » Centers and Programs » Welcome to the Megan E. Daly Infant Development Program » Volunteering/Working at IDP

Volunteering/Working at IDP

The following is a description of the requirements for working or volunteering time in UCLA’s IDP. At this time and until further notice, we are unable to take in volunteers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. I love working with children and I want more hands on experience working in a child care setting. Are there opportunities to do this? Students currently enrolled in classes at UCLA can work with children as work study students when positions arise. Due to the amount of students involved in the Applied Developmental Program (ADP), a minor in Psychology, additional work study positions are limited.
  2. I have an extra three hours in my schedule every week and I think this would some nice time to play with babies. Is this enough time? Due to the ages of the children as well as the respect and quality of care that IDP strives to provide, we want to ensure that there is as much consistency as possible for the children on a daily basis. As such, we do not allow students to spend less that eight hours a week in the classroom. These hours allow students time to develop connections with the children, staff and parents in the IDP.
  3. Ok that makes sense so, what are the hours that IDP is open, and what would my schedule look like if I worked or volunteered? The centers are open Monday to Friday from 7:30am-5:30pm to families. At IDP, opening shifts begin at 7:15 and closing shifts end at 6:00pm. You must commit to working 8 hours during the academic year (either a 2, 3, or 4 hour shift). So for example you may work from 7:15am-9:15am or 3pm-6pm.All students are required to work 3-4 days each week in the academic year and 4-5 days a week during the summer quarter. Each quarter you will be required to provide a certain number of regular weekly hours of availability. All students must provide availability for an opening (7:15-9:15), closing (4-6) and a Friday shift. However, your final schedule may not necessarily reflect these requested hours. (15 hrs/week during the academic year, 20 during the summer). The teaching staff at IDP will select 8 hours during the academic year and 15 hours during summer from the hours that you have made available. You will have the same weekly schedule throughout the quarter, but it will change for subsequent quarters as your (and other interns’) class schedules change.
  4. What happens if I get sick or have to miss my shift because I am running late? When you commit to working or volunteering your time, please know you are committing to working with the children and families at the center and you become an integral part of the life of the center. As such we take attendance very seriously. The following is detailed information about our attendance requirements for students:
    1. GIV’s/Work study students are required to complete 8 hours of time at their site each week (weeks 0/1 – 10) and 6 hours during finals week. Failure to arrive for a scheduled shift without notifying the supervising teacher in advance may result in dismissal from the center. Students are required to make up an entire shift if there is a late arrival of 15 minutes or more to a scheduled shift. Chronic or excessive tardiness, as determined by the supervising teacher, may also result in dismissal from the internship course and/or minor program. Our expectation is that every student must report on time and be present for every scheduled shift,
    2. Students who know in advance that they will be absent from a shift are required to arrange their own coverage. Students who miss a shift because of illness are required to notify the supervising teacher (by phone) as soon as possible and prior to their scheduled shift. If you must miss a shift due to illness or another unavoidable reason, you are responsible for finding another intern to cover your shift. The classrooms count on you attendance. Do your best to follow through with all of the attendance qualifications.
    3. The hours missed during the quarter must be made up during finals week or break week within the same quarter per supervising teachers’ discretion. If you must be out, communicate with your supervising teacher as soon as you know you might have a coverage issue. You must also take responsibility for finding a shift sub. If you are frequently late or miss shifts, this is cause for dismissal from the program.
    4. Unless another arrangement is made in advance between the supervising teacher and the student, students will not be required to make up work hours missed when their school site is closed. For example, interns scheduled to work during school holidays may count those as “free” hours and will not have to make up the hours missed. Any other hours interns miss because of center closures (e.g., conferences) will not need to be made up.
  5. I know that to work in many child development centers you have to have CPR and First Aid? Do I have to do this if I want to volunteer for IDP? As a work study student working with young children you are required to complete infant CPR and first aid prior to beginning to work with children at our center. Classes at ASUCLA for CPR/First aid are the least expensive. You may visit www.studentgroups.ucla.edu/uclacpr for more information. You can also take classes at the UCLA Student Welfare Commission. Student Welfare Commission www.swc.ucla.edu. If neither of those options work, you can get first aid training anywhere. You need to have written proof in the form of a card or certificate that you are certified to perform CPR and First Aid Training on infants and adults.
  6. Do I also need to be fingerprinted? You must also complete a fingerprint or Live Scan in order to work with children. The Livescan process will take approximately 2-3 weeks. You will need to call and make an appointment at a Livescan site, so please make this appointment as soon as possible. You must complete your Livescan at the Department of Social Services (DSS) in El Segundo; other sites do not register students and in the past they have had to repeat the process. Below you may find the address and phone number for this site. Live Scan’s are in the $70-$100 range. In the job classification on the live scan you will write VOLUNTEER / CHILDCARE VOLUNTEER (NOT employee, infant center or childcare worker). You will need the facility number of the site you will be working with and you will find this out once you know which site you will work at.Livescan address:
    300 N. Continental Blvd. Suite 290 B,
    El Segundo, CA 90245
    Phone (424)301-3077
    Fax (424)301-3200
  7. What I have been fingerprinted before? Can I use that as a source of clearance for fingerprints? Live Scan is a specific service used by the Department of Social Services and all childcare facilities. You may have been fingerprinted at previous jobs, for example as an EMT, lifeguard, aid in a school district, staff at a police department, etc. Those services are not on the same system; therefore unless you have been fingerprinted for work in a childcare facility by the Live Scan service, you will need to make an appointment to do so.If you were fingerprinted for childcare, you may have a fingerprint clearance on file. To check, call the State of California, Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division at (424)301-3077. Tell them that you are checking whether you have a fingerprint clearance on records; you will be asked to provide your social security number or your prior clearance number.
  8. Do I need anything else besides the fingerprinting or cpr/first aid? It is required for you to obtain a health clearance by a professional by orientation date that indicates that you can work with children without health restrictions. If you had one for a previous employer (more than 6 months ago from the start date of your orientation) you will need to get this done again for this internship.In addition you must complete a TB test from your personal physician or a physician at the Ashe center prior to the start of your fieldwork. TB testing at Ashe center is free for students and a health clearance is $20.00. You may visit www.studenthealth.ucla.edu for more information. If you had completed a TB test in the last 4 years you do not have to have one completed again for this internship. You can also get a chest x- ray, if you often have a false positive test for TB.
  9. What should I wear if I were to work at IDP?
    1. Students are to wear modest clothing that is appropriate for working with young children. Please make sure body parts are adequately covered. Pants/shorts should fully cover your body (including midriffs and backside) so that underclothing does not show. Shirts should have sleeves that are worn on both shoulders. Please keep in mind the types of physical movement/play necessary in working with young children, and dress accordingly. Furthermore, individual sites may require specific dress codes.
    2. Interns should wear appropriate footwear for working with and around children. High heels, expensive dress shoes, and other footwear that do not allow for quick movement (i.e. running, jumping) should not be worn.
    3. Students should be aware that sites may require removal of piercings and/or covering of body art (i.e., tattoos) when on site.
    4. Please keep in mind the kinds of activities that may take place when working with and around children. Clothing that may be spilled on (i.e. food/liquids, art materials, body fluids, dirt/mud, etc.) should be worn.
  10. You mentioned something about a minor in Applied Developmental Psychology, where can I find more information about that? To find out more information about the ADP minor, please go to the following link: Applied Developmental Psychology Minor
  11. Wow, this sounds great and I absolutely have time in my schedule for this serious commitment. I am also very reliable and dependable and get all the paperwork completed in order to volunteer or work in the center. So when can I start? Interested students can contact idpstaff@psych.ucla.edu in order to make an appointment to meet with the director of the center. Upon meeting with the director you will be screened and interviewed to ensure this is a good fit. If you have a work study award, you may be eligible to work for one of the centers. However, we do require that work study students work during intersessions or break weeks. Your start date is usually at the beginning of the academic year or beginning of the summer sessions classes depending on how many positions are available.