Latest News

News and happenings about First Things First

Gila County task force helps open local early childhood workforce pipeline

October 22, 2026
Gila professional development child care crisis

One key task force initiative is the development of a workforce pipeline to address the estimated 60% child care shortage in Gila County. Read More

mom, daughter and parent educator sitting on floor playing with plastic balls.

Building strong families one visit at a time

4/18/2019
strong families

First Things First funds voluntary, evidence-based home visitation programs. These one-on-one visits with trained providers have been shown to be an effective…

Former longtime FTF Chair shares farewell

4/18/2019
board

Nadine Mathis Basha recently completed her service as the longest serving Board member in FTF history.

Preventing child abuse starts with strengthening families

4/17/2019
strong families

April is National Child Abuse Awareness Month, but prevention activities can happen every day. One way families can help prevent child abuse is to mitigate…

Q&A with AZAEYC Board President Eric Bucher

4/11/2019
early learning

The Arizona Association for the Education of Young Children is celebrating Week of the Young Child, April 8-12.

Avondale family resource center celebrates 10-year anniversary

4/5/2019
Southwest Maricopa

The Avondale family resource center is a centralized hub of not only services for infants, toddlers and preschoolers, but a wide-range of social and human…

Linking Leaders programs allows early childhood teachers to build their strengths

3/30/2019
professional development

The goal of Linking Leaders is to connect center owners, directors and teachers with resources that raise the quality of the children’s environments.

Quality First teachers practice yoga at child care center

Quality First Center uses yoga and nutrition tips to build family skills

3/25/2019
Quality First

Quality First center introduces parents to yoga, nutrition information and provides access to community resources to help better care for their children.

Tohono O’odham Nation elder finds joy in guiding and shaping young children

3/20/2019
professional development

An FTF-funded professional development program helped a Tohono O’odham preschool teacher earn college credit for her degree.

Live theater animates books for preschoolers

3/18/2019
language & literacy

Studies found that when kids act out what they are reading, it helps the story come alive and allows kids to map the words to their experiences and better…

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