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Pictured in Angela Nixon’s child care class at Jumpstart Enrichment for Tomorrow’s Students (JETS) are (l-r) Hunter Kenly, Maverick Rios, Aveah Ruiz, Caden Martinez, Nixon, Ezmi Rexla, Marco Estrada, Haidyn Tedroza and Jaeden Limones.
Jumpstart Enrichment for Tomorrow’s Students (JETS), helps many families in Scurry County, but they could use some help in return.
JETS, which provides Head Start, Early Head Start and childcare services for families in Scurry County is in need of donations, both monetary and in-kind services, to ensure it can continue to provide its current level of services.
The agency, located at the Stanfield Family Enrichment Center, currently serves 156 children from birth through five years of age, as well as pre-natal education and support for eight expecting mothers.
“Families qualify for the programs by income and age, or disability,” JETS Director Susan Rios said. “We use a selection criteria to determine those who are most qualified for the programs.”
Selections for this school year will be made in July, with the first day of classes scheduled for Aug. 15.
Head Start is open to children ages 3-5, while Early Head Start is open to children ages birth through 3. Eligibility for childcare services, open to children ages birth through 5, is not based on income.
“Any family can be a part of it,” Rios said of the daycare program. “But we do have year-round scholarships available to families that qualify based on income.”
There are currently 60 children enrolled in Head Start, 56 in Early Head Start and 40 in the childcare program.
Head Start, as the name implies, gives children in economically disadvantaged homes a “head start” to their education. In Snyder, Head Start children learn early math and reading skills, and receive confidence and resiliency training.
“Ninety percent of children’s brains develop by age 4,” Rios said. “It’s important we provide quality intervention during that time.”
But all those services cost money. Rios said JETS’ funding comes primarily from a $1.3 million federal grant, but JETS must prove it raised $326,593 in donations, either monetary or in-kind, in order to receive the grant.
“We fell short of the matching figure for several years, but we were able to apply for and receive a waiver,” Rios said. “This year, however, we’ve been informed that that a waiver won’t be granted.”
Funding is guaranteed through this school year, but Rios is calling on the community to contribute to JETS through either monetary donations or by volunteering at the agency.
“We need and welcome volunteers on a regular basis,” she said. “I’m working on an initiative to bring in even more volunteers who can perform certain tasks on a regular basis.”
Volunteers can “adopt a classroom” by reading to the students or helping them with art projects.
“We have 15 classrooms and we need volunteers for every one of them,” Rios said.
Volunteers can also work in the center’s office or cafeteria or help to maintain the building and grounds. They can also serve on the agency’s board of directors, which meets once a month for 10 months out of the year.
“If we would have to shut down, it would create an economic burden to the community,” Rios said. “We serve a lot of kids and we have 46 full-time and part-time employees who would all be without a job if we shut down.”
To volunteer or donate, call Rios at 574-8676.