Jefferson Ready Start Network Launches Fundraiser for the Future of Jefferson Parish
Funding sought from Jefferson Parish businesses to support high-quality early education for economically disadvantaged children
METAIRIE, LA. (October 19, 2021) – Jefferson Ready Start Network (JRSN), in partnership with the Jefferson Community Foundation (JCF), announces the launch of the JRSN Future Fund to support early care and education in Jefferson Parish.
“There is an urgent need for quality education for our youngest citizens and recent natural disasters and the pandemic have only created more barriers for families,” says JRSN Executive Director Sarintha Stricklin, Ph.D. “We have a responsibility as a community to support our youngest and most vulnerable learners, and it’s clear that the future of our parish is tied to the success of our children.”
Quality early childhood education drives short and long-term economic development for the state because it supports the workforce of today and develops the workforce of tomorrow. Child care providers are a critical piece of the puzzle, as they allow parents to work or further their education while their children receive high-quality care and education, no matter their economic background.
“Businesses in Jefferson Parish need to invest in our children,” says Dr. Stricklin. “Today, you’re supporting parents who struggle to work full-time, stable jobs due to lack of child care, which costs our state’s employers $816 million each year in lost productivity. Five years from now, parents will join the workforce with specialized training or higher education that they only had the chance to earn because you supported affordable, high-quality early education for their children. Fifteen and twenty years from now, those same children that you helped educate during the first five years of their life – when 90% of brain development happens – will be applying to work for you. This issue really affects us all.”
For more information or to donate to the JRSN Future Fund please visit www.jeffersonreadystartnetwork.com. Every dollar donated will be matched through the State of Louisiana Early Childhood Education Fund.
“We are honored to partner with Jefferson Ready Start Network to raise money for this important effort,” says JCF Executive Director Christine Briede, CFRE. “Over half of our state’s children arrive to kindergarten unprepared, and many of these children are economically disadvantaged. Meanwhile, less than 10% of eligible infants and toddlers are in care. Considering the overwhelming importance of early childhood education, it’s clear that we need to act fast.”