Arizona’s early childhood agency represents a commitment Arizonans made to our youngest children – that they would have the support they need to start school healthy and ready to succeed. Many young children in Arizona face significant barriers to their success, including poverty, trauma and lack of access to needed resources.
4,416
Population of young children (under age 6)
38%
Percentage of young children living in poverty
Priorities
The Santa Cruz Regional Partnership Council makes strategic investments to support the healthy development and learning of the young children in the region. The regional council’s priorities include:
- Strengthening families through voluntary home visiting and family resource centers
- Scholarships for children to access high-quality early learning
- Strengthening families through voluntary home visiting
“It is now a well-known fact that early childhood education is imperative for a child’s overall success in life. This is especially true in our underserved community where it is difficult to find accessible and affordable high-quality child care. Affordable and high quality child care leads to increased employment opportunities as well as leading to improved children’s outcomes that include physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development.”
Laura Monarque
Chair, First Things First Santa Cruz Regional Partnership Council
Regional Key Impact Highlights
[State Fiscal Year 2024]
Strengthening Families and Early Literacy
- 705 families or caregivers served by receiving referrals or by participating in activities at family resource centers
- 759 parents and caregivers received flexible, familyfocused and culturally-responsive information, resources and referrals to services and parenting activities family resource centers
- 1152 families or caregivers served by receiving referrals or by participating in activities at family resource centers
- 52 families with young children participated in voluntary home visiting programs proven to reduce parental stress levels, increase connections to community supports, and improve children’s cognitive, motor, behavioral and social-emotional development
Quality Preschool and Child Care
- 73 children birth to age 5 received a Quality First scholarship to attend high-quality preschools and child care programs
- 19 child care and preschool providers were committed to continuous quality improvement of their early learning programs through Quality First
- 346 children attended preschools and child care programs participating in Quality First
Preventive Health
- 8 early childhood educators received child care health consultation or support in maintaining health and safety standards in early learning settings
State Fiscal Year 2024 Total Regional Program Expenditures
| Family Support | $649,415 |
| Quality and Access | $445,689 |
| Evaluation | $32,098 |
| Health | $24,939 |
| Community Awareness | $9,000 |
| Total | $1,161,141 |
First Things First Staff
Jessica Harrington
Sr. Director, Southeast Regional Area
Christine Sbragia
Administrative Specialist II, Santa Cruz
Regional Office
