The Corky Childcare Collective
Employment Opportunities
Grow With the Corky Family
Five schools across North Alabama, and room for you to grow in every one.
Our Mission for Our Team
We believe childhood is something to protect, to celebrate, and to experience with intention. We believe the same about the people who care for children. A team member who feels known, supported, and cared for gives children their very best, and so caring for our team is where everything at Corky begins.
Corky began with a family. Our founder, Jessyca, is a registered nurse, and her mother, Brenda, has cared for the children of this community since 1982. Four generations of our family have cared for children here, and today that same way of caring fills the five schools of The Corky Childcare Collective. We want each one to feel like walking into a hug, for the children who arrive each morning and for the team members who welcome them.
We make three promises to every family: to protect magical childhoods, to be a proud part of their village, and to provide curated childcare. Our team is how those promises are kept. You keep them when you welcome a child by name in the morning, when you stay close through a hard moment, and when you share the day’s proud moments with a parent at homecoming. Our hope is that you feel that same care returned to you every day you spend with us.
Every Corky school is guided by the same six promises. We call them C.O.R.K.Y.S., and they belong to our team as much as to our families:
Community and Connection
We promise to build a strong community through meaningful connection. It takes a village, and our team is the heart of ours.
Outside
We promise daily fresh air and sunshine, and creative thinking that goes beyond traditional walls.
Real
We promise to be authentic, honest, and heartfelt with one another.
Kindness
We promise to choose kindness first, through gentle hands, warm words, and compassionate hearts.
You
We promise that you are at the heart of all we do. Every child, every family, and every team member matters.
Safety
We promise safety and cleanliness far beyond licensing standards. Safety is love in action.
The Difference You Will Make
Research consistently shows that the first years of life lay the foundation for lifelong learning, emotional well-being, and healthy relationships. As a Corky team member, you are there for those years. You may be the one who hears a first word, steadies a first step, or sees a child wave goodbye at the door with a smile for the very first time.
Children learn best when they first feel deeply known, connected, and confident, and you are the person who gives them that. A child who learns to name a big feeling with you carries that skill into kindergarten and long past it. Families tell us about the new letters, sounds, and signs their children bring home, and they tell us which team member taught them.
You make a difference for families, too. Each morning a parent places one of life’s greatest gifts in your care, and the way you welcome their child is what lets them step into their own day with peace of mind.
The days are long, but the years are short, and these are the years a child will carry with them always. You become part of that child’s story. If that is why you teach, you belong here.
Our Heart. The little moments matter most, and our team members are the ones who make them.
Teaching the Corky Way
We believe children do not need to be hurried toward the next milestone. They need to feel deeply known, genuinely loved, and free to explore at their own pace. That belief shapes every Corky classroom, and it shapes the way we teach.
New team members join schools where social-emotional growth comes first, and we practice Conscious Discipline. At our Meridianville schools, the Frog Street curriculum gives each classroom a clear framework with plenty of room for a team member’s own ideas. At The Corky Lily, mornings are Reggio-inspired and Waldorf-influenced, built around invitations to play.
So what does that look like day to day? You’re kneeling beside a child in a hard moment, helping them name a big feeling and find their way back to calm. You’re taking a lesson and making it yours, with your songs, your stories, and your sense of fun, whether you think of yourself as artsy or you are still finding out. You’re heading outside every day, because so much wonder is waiting out there. If that is the kind of teaching your heart has been looking for, you will feel right at home here.
You are also never alone with a health question. Our founder is a registered nurse, and Corky has a registered nurse on staff.
Our Heart. Children flourish when they feel safe, connected, and unhurried, and so do the team members who care for them.
What Makes Corky a Wonderful Place to Work
Corky is a family, and this is a place where you are seen, heard, and supported. You feel it in the way our leaders show up. Our directors spend their days in the classrooms beside you. They hold high standards, and they walk toward those standards with you through regular coaching and a helping hand in the moment you need one. Each month you also sit down privately with a leader at your school for a check-in that begins with your wins and stays focused on supporting you. Most of our directors began as Corky team members themselves, so they remember what your day asks of you, and they can show you how far you can grow here.
We speak to one another directly and kindly. This is a safe place to bring a concern, to ask a question, and to make a mistake and learn from it.
At Corky, you will find:
- Leaders who are present in your classroom and invested in your growth
- Real opportunity to grow, in schools where most directors started as team members
- Honest, supportive communication and a safe place to bring concerns
- Freedom to be creative and make your classroom your own
- Meaningful work, with social-emotional learning at the center of every day
- A registered nurse on staff
- A team that stays. Many of our Violet team members have been with Corky since the school opened.
Our team members tell us they love the people they work with as much as the children they teach. We hope you will join us.
What We Offer
Caring for our team is part of caring for our children, and we want that to show in more than words.
Competitive Pay.
50% Tuition Discount. Half off tuition for your own children, so your family can grow up at Corky right alongside you.
25 Paid Closure Days. Eligible team members at our full-day schools receive up to 25 paid closure days each year, time to rest and be with the people you love.
Federal Holidays Off. Our schools close for every federal holiday.
Paid Birthday Off. After your first year with us, your birthday is a paid day off to celebrate you. We call it a “we are so glad you were born” day.
Reliable Schedules. A steady schedule, so you can plan your life outside of work.
Employee Resource Centers. Everyday classroom items are yours at no cost, with a monthly budget for some of the extras, so the ideas you dream up can come to life.
Coaching and Growth. Regular coaching, monthly check-ins, and a real path to grow with us.
Staff Appreciation and Community Events. We celebrate our team and gather with our families throughout the year.
Our Heart. Team members who are rested and cared for give children their very best. Our closures protect the warmth, patience, and joy children feel from you all year long.
What Your Day Looks Like
Relationships are at the heart of your day. You’ll welcome each child by name at a calm, unhurried arrival, then spend the day on the floor and out in the fresh air with them, leading play, stories, songs, and hands-on discovery. You’ll comfort, encourage, and cheer children on, share little moments with families through Brightwheel, and trade ideas with the team member next door. At homecoming, you’ll return each child to the people who love them most and share one of the little moments from their day.
Who We’re Looking For
We look for people who meet Alabama’s licensing requirements and bring the heart that makes Corky what it is. We hire dependable, upbeat people who love children and are willing to learn. Our deepest hope is that every person who joins us stays, grows, and puts down roots.
State Requirements
- At least 18 years old with a high school diploma or GED, in keeping with Alabama child care licensing standards
- A valid government-issued ID
- Ability to pass the state and federal background checks required for child care employment
- Three references and a current health statement from your healthcare provider, including a TB test
- 11 hours of health and safety training before your first day in a classroom, and 12 hours of child care training within your first 30 days
- Able to be on your feet through the day, get up and down from the floor, and safely lift and carry a child up to 40 pounds
Corky Requirements
- Comfortable spending time outdoors on our playgrounds and in our gardens
- Positive energy
- Self-motivation
- Able to work well on your own and as part of a team
- A creative spirit and a love of celebrating
- A social media presence that reflects our core values
- Current pediatric CPR and First Aid certification, or willingness to earn it
Professional Qualities
- Reliability you can set a clock by
- Strong communication with children, families, and teammates
- Initiative, and pride in a job done well
- A willingness to learn and to ask questions
Personal Qualities
- A positive attitude and a warm heart
- A natural connection with children
- A belief in Corky’s values and mission
- The courage to try something new and learn from a mistake
Hear From Our Team
“I’ve been at The Corky Magnolia for a little over two years now. I’ve always had a passion for kids, so I really love being able to come to work and do something I enjoy every day. I love the people I work with, the support from our leaders, and how everyone works together. I think what makes Corky different is how supported you feel. Our leaders and coworkers are always there to help, listen, and work together. I love when parents tell me how much their child loves my class or share something they learned at home. It makes me feel like we’re really making a difference. Corky really feels like a family, and I couldn’t imagine working anywhere else.”
Celena Trussell, Infant 2 Teacher, The Corky Magnolia
Open Positions
When we hire, it is usually because Corky is growing.
Now Hiring: Nutrition Manager
Our kitchens at Callahan’s at Corky South and The Corky Magnolia are looking for someone who loves feeding children well. If caring for little ones through good food sounds like your kind of work, we would love to hear from you.
Always Accepting Applications
We are always glad to meet wonderful team members. If Corky sounds like your kind of place, send us your application and tell us which campus feels like home.
How to Apply
Complete the application below. From there, we will invite you in for a conversation with our team, followed by a morning in one of our classrooms, so you can feel what a Corky day is like.
Questions before you apply? Call the campus you are interested in, or email info@corkychildcare.com.
The Corky Violet. 572 Patterson Ln., Meridianville, AL 35759. (256) 813-8912
The Corky Magnolia. 178 Patterson Ln., Meridianville, AL 35759. (256) 804-9372
The Corky Magnolia Den. 178A Patterson Ln., Meridianville, AL 35759. (256) 804-9372
The Corky Lily. 11287 Dove Dr., Madison, AL 35756. (938) 246-7006
Callahan’s at Corky South. 10020 Blanda Dr., Huntsville, AL 35803. (938) 234-9641