All children need the same opportunities to have a chance for a life of success determined by their own abilities. First Things First—working at both the state and local level—act to ensure that all children have those opportunities.
The state Board and 31 Regional Partnership Councils are partners in laying the foundation for a lifetime of wellbeing and success for the over 600,000 children five and under in Arizona. The staff of First Things First provides research and expertise to support the work of the Board and Councils, as well as those programs and services widely identified to provide those opportunities to all of Arizona’s youngest children. As a team, First Things First carries out its mission and goals using shared core values that reflect children as our first priority and by being thoughtful stewards of First Things First funds and resources.
The Board
The Board's central focus is to determine polices and approve funding to build on or improve the programs, services, and resources already available to support young children and their families. By setting and adopting clear goals to support child development and health - based on available data and evidence of likely success and proven practices - the Board increases the chance of success in school and life for all Arizona children.
The Regional Councils and Local Flexibility
First Things First's 31 Regional Partnership Councils represent the richly diverse communities across Arizona. Members of each Council are appointed by the Board and have direct responsibility to: collect information on the strengths and desires of their community, prioritize the specific needs, plan how to address those needs, choose who to partner and collaborate with to ensure success for the children in their communities, and identify the funding necessary to carry out their plan.
Accountability is Critical
Accountability is ensured by providing oversight, performing ongoing performance evaluation and promoting continuous quality improvement of all the programs First Things First funds.