FTF @ Work
Preschool Expansion Helps North Phoenix Kids Prepare for Kindergarten Success
Siblings Jacob, 6, and Julia, 4, couldn't be more different. "(Jacob) is outgoing and loves to play with others, while Julia is very much the introvert," said their mother, Marie Pantelic. Each of her children needed to improve different skills to be ready for school. While Jacob needed the academic skills to meet the expectations of a challenging classroom environment, Julia needed to develop the inter-personal skills to thrive in the active social environment kindergarten would bring.
Thanks to preschool scholarships funded by the First Things First North Phoenix Regional Partnership Council, the Pantelics were able to enroll their kids at Stone Creek Christian Preschool. At Stone Creek, the children gained the academic and social skills needed to arrive on their first day of kindergarten ready to succeed.
The Pantelics own a small North Phoenix business and without the scholarships, they would not have been able to send Julia to preschool unless Marie took on a second job and spent less time with their three children, including 2-year-old Ava.
Much to her mother's surprise Julia loves to sing; she is also showing signs of being more willing to work with others as opposed to playing on her own. As for Jacob, he is already in kindergarten with a very rigorous academic schedule and doing just fine. "I am sure if he hadn't had the preparation at Stone Creek, he would be struggling to keep up," Marie said. "Financial burdens are always hard on everyone but having the scholarships has been a blessing in our lives."
Currently 586 children in North Phoenix receive First Things First scholarships. By funding programs like pre-kindergarten scholarships, First Things First and the North Phoenix Regional Council are giving more young kids in Arizona the tools they need to be ready for school and set for life.
Free CRIT Workshops Aim to Improve Care
More than 50 caregivers in the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) region have received free training via a new workshop being offered to family, friends and neighbors serving as caregivers in the area.
 The workshops are offered by the Association for Supportive Child Care's (ASCC) Arizona Kith and Kin Project staff. Funding for the workshops in the CRIT region is provided by a grant from the First Things First Colorado River Indian Tribes Regional Partnership Council to the CRIT Department of Health and Social Services.
The Kith and Kin Project improves the quality of child care provided by friends, family members and neighbors, said Claudia Ortiz-Vazquez of ASCC. Most of the 739 children under the age of 6 living in the region are cared for by extended family or friends, according to a report commissioned by First Things First.
"What they're really learning is some basic skills to be able to offer quality care," Ortiz-Vazquez said.
The workshops are administered by the Women, Infant and Children division of the CRIT Department of Health and Social Services. The four, 5-hour classes are intended to provide specific knowledge and tools about the importance of early interaction at a time of increased brain development. Research demonstrates that 90 percent of brain development occurs by the age of 5. Children who have quality early education in those critical years are more prepared for kindergarten and do better in school.
Topics at the workshops have included language, literacy, nutrition and the importance of self-esteem. The idea is to show the caregivers how to create opportunities for learning and positive growth. At one of the workshops earlier this spring, participants were encouraged by educator Shanna Garrett to create teachable moments out of everyday interactions with children. She encouraged the caregivers not to brush off routine questions from little ones, and used the example of a teacher who created an off-the-cuff science experiment for her students when one child began asking questions about pine cones.
The series of workshops will close June 19 with a special session with musician and educator Enrique Feldman, who teaches how to use singing, playtime and storytelling to create learning experiences for young children.
Scholarships Help Kids in Cochise Region Access Early Learning
Jennifer McDowell credits First Things First with helping her daughter get a good education before she starts kindergarten.
"If it weren't for the First Things First Quality First scholarship, my daughter would not be getting a high quality education," Jennifer said. "We would be struggling financially and I would have a difficult time maintaining employment. I am thankful every day that my daughter is well on her way to becoming such a well-rounded individual now as the direct result of the scholarship."
The scholarships are available to children who attend one of the 22 child care centers and 21 child care homes in the Cochise region participating in Quality First, FTF's child care quality improvement and rating system. Through Quality First, providers can access resources – from mentoring and college scholarships – to help them improve the quality of the early learning programs they provide. They also receive scholarships to help families in the area afford early learning for their young kids.
The scholarships are crucial to families in the Cochise region, where the average yearly cost of child care for infants to 5-year-olds ranges from $6,050 to $5,800. This represents about 14 percent of gross family income.
Imagine Early Learning Center, located in Sierra Vista, serves about 155 children. Director Marge Dailey, who is also an FTF Regional Council member, said "In my opinion, the Quality First program is the best program to help facilitate learning; knowing that a child's brain is 80 percent developed by age 3 and 90 percent by age 5, all educational facilities that serve children birth to 5 have a tremendous responsibility to children so that they can reach their fullest potential in school and in life." |
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