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Programs and Partners
Jubilee Jumpstart will serve 46 children in full-day activity
and offer night and weekend care for children whose parents must work during those
hours. Because social and economic diversity will strengthen the program's impact,
up to 11 of our children will come from full-paying families. JumpStart's program
will focus on two key research findings:
(1) that consistent nurturing relationships with one or a few caregivers are the
most crucial foundation for both the intellectual and the social growth of children,
and (2) that a carefully structured curriculum that begins in infancy and continues
up to kindergarten has a dramatic impact on the capacity of a child to perform well
in school and live well in later life.
To provide this critical foundation, JumpStart will
- Work with children in small groups, with a high ratio of caregiver to child that
exceeds District of Columbia requirements, to allow for close nurturing relationships.
- Have a lead caregiver with a college degree in early childhood in each group and
seek other teachers with at least 2 years of college who are pursuing such a degree,
to ensure an understanding of children's need and appropriate ways to respond to
them.
- Provide ample pay and benefits, an appealing environment, and a strong system of
psychological training and support to encourage staff to remain with the program
and provide stable core relationships for the children.
- Accept District of Columbia childcare subsidies to support the participation of
low-income families.
- Structure relationships among teachers and parents or guardians to ensure consistency
of care at JumpStart and at home.
- Provide intensive support for parents through home visits, parenting training, and
support groups.
- Draw from curricula recommended for the Early Head Start and Head Start programs
that longitudinal studies have shown to make a marked improvement in the social,
academic, and work success of at-risk children.
- Structure a program for each child that fits the child's unique growth process and
addresses any developmental challenges.
- Serve children and parents with empathy and compassion, and provide experiences
that encourage their own empathy and compassion.
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