$29 Million For Community Efforts to Help Kids Under 5
First Things First Board Approvals Bring Total Statewide Investment to 75 Million
PHOENIX (June 11, 2009) Arizona communities will be better able to support the education and health of infants and toddlers in their neighborhoods thanks to $29 million in funding approved Tuesday by the First Things First (FTF) Board.
The latest awards bring the total invested in early childhood over the past year to $75 million, with up to $56 million in addition grant awards still to come in late summer and early fall.
“This is great news for local communities,” FTF Board Chair Nadine Mathis Basha said. “Despite our current economic realities, Arizonans understand the need to continue investing where it matters most: in making sure that all children have the opportunity to receive a smart, healthy start in life so that they can be successful in school and in life.”
In 2006, Arizona voters overwhelmingly supported, Proposition 203, which raised the per-pack price of cigarettes by 80 cents in order to fund the expansion of education and health programs for children from birth through age five. Under the terms of the proposition, decisions about how to best use the funds are made on a per-region basis by 31 councils made up of local leaders. The statewide board – which has final approval of the councils’ recommendations – is responsible for ensuring that the funds are used on programs proven to work at improving outcomes for children.
“We know that the early years are the foundation upon which a child’s learning, and ultimately their success, is built,” Basha said. “Investments during this critical time yield the greatest returns to children, to their communities, and ultimately, to our state.”
The $75 million investment made so far includes approximately $37 million approved by the Board in March to ensure that children whose families are being hit hardest by the current economic crisis have access to food, health care and safe child care; as well as approximately $9 million spent on statewide initiatives regarding the quality of educational services for Arizona’s youngest children.
But, the lion’s share of First Things First funding – 81 cents on the dollar – is being decided by the regional councils and includes programs such as home visits by nurses with newborns and their families, early literacy and health and nutrition.
“For one community, getting a pediatrician to practice in their area may be among the most pressing health concerns; for another community, the more pressing concern may be access to dental care.” Basha said. “The beauty of First Things First is that it allows local decision-making based on the community’s needs.”
Information on applying for First Things First funding for early childhood education or health initiatives in your community is available online at www.azftf.gov/grants.
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