First Focus on Kids
First Focus on Kids
Our community’s children must be prepared to enter school ready to learn and succeed
United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona (UWTSA) has excelled in mobilizing resources to improve the availability, accessibility, quality and affordability of services to families with children age birth to five. In the past 10 years, UWTSA’s flagship early childhood regional partnership called First Focus on Kids (FFK) has secured over $45 million to improve the well-being and school readiness of Pima county’s most at-risk children. With 33 percent of children entering kindergarten without skills essential for school success, we need to continue to focus on our most at-risk children.
Our focus
- Improving quality of early care and educational experiences
- Promoting early literacy
- Supporting parent and teacher education
- Improving nutrition and oral health education
- Enhancing community awareness
How We Do It
Under the guidance of the First Focus on Kids (FFK) Coalition, a broad range of strategies are used to improve the well-being and school readiness of children in Pima County. The Coalition is composed of over 100 community volunteers including early childhood professionals, business leaders, educators, early childhood and literacy experts, youth and family development agencies, state and local government representatives, parents, and United Way staff. Members participate in one or more strategy groups:
- Quality Improvement and Access
- Professional Development
- Health and Special Rights
- Family Support
- Early Childhood Awareness
Coalition members attend one two-hour meeting each month and work on the subcommittee strategies in that meeting. Strategy groups occasionally have additional meeting or events that require time.
FFK uses a variety of strategies to mobilize our community’s collective resources including building capacity of those directly serving children ages 0 - 5, raising needed resources, and effectively facilitating collaborative partnerships to improve early childhood development. Recent successes include:
- Strengthening the capacity of service organizations
- Raising needed resources
- Facilitating collaborative partnerships
For more information about First Focus on Kids, please contact:
Jill Morgan
Associate VP- Community Development
Click here to email Jill
520.903.3916
Documents available for download:
United Way First Focus on Kids Professional Development Continuum Spring 2011
Guide for early childhood professionals to support higher education coursework
United Way First Focus on Kids Annual Report 2010-2011
Diamond Challenge Report 2010-2011
Affiliated Programs
The Family Support Alliance was formed through the family support committee work of United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona’s First Focus on Kids Impact Council. The committee recognizes the critical need to support parents in their key role to develop every aspect of a child’s growth and learning.
Early Childhood Partnership of Southern Pima County (ECPSPC)
ECPSPC, an affiliate of First Focus on Kids, is the local council of community representatives formed around enhancing the quality and availability of child care in Southern Pima County, including Sahuarita, Amado, Green Valley, and Arivaca.
Early Childhood Partnership of Northern Pima County
Funded by the FTF North Pima Regional Partnership Council and an affiliate of First Focus on Kids, the Early Childhood Partnership of North Pima County formed around enhancing the quality and availability of child care in Northern Pima County, including Marana, Oro Valley, Catalina, and the Catalina Foothills.
Community Action Board (formally part of Vail C.A.R.E.S.)
The Community Action Board (CAB), an affiliate of First Focus on Kids, is an all volunteer effort to: advocate for and assist in effecting positive change in the Vail community; to enrich relationships among children, families, and businesses, government, and the school district; and to provide a safe and healthy environment for all residents.
The continued mobilization of our community’s collective resources will lead to a more comprehensive system to build strong families, support the health of our youngest community members, and build the high quality early care and education experiences needed to meet the future needs of all Pima County families.
The Diamond Challenge Fund at United Way
Because they believe strongly that a child’s education begins at birth not the first day of school, the Diamond family made a five-year, $1 million funding commitment to the work of United Way’s First Focus on Kids (FFK). Beginning in July 2006, a Diamond Challenge Fund for First Focus on Kids was created to encourage other foundations and donors to contribute to early education goals. Donald Diamond, his wife Joan and daughter Helaine know that the timing is right to expand and enhance the FFK school readiness goals.
The Diamond family did their homework and made their decision based on recent, compelling research. Scientific evidence shows that investing in the early development and health of our youngest children is a sound investment. We know that a child's brain structure is 90% developed by age three. The very foundation for a child's ability to grow healthy and learn is laid long before a child enters a classroom. World renowned economists say that investing at the very earliest ages will have the most impact on creating a world class economy. If we act now, we can make a profound difference on this generation and those to come. By investing in the very earliest development of our children, they will be prepared for success later in life.
When looking for where to invest their early education funds, the Diamonds were directed to United Way’s First Focus on Kids. Because First Focus on Kids is the leading early childhood education initiative in the State of Arizona, the Diamonds are investing in First Focus on Kids. Together with United Way, the Diamonds have laid out ambitious goals for preparing children for school and life.
What will the investment support?
With this funding, First Focus on Kids will achieve the following results by July 2011:
Children’s readiness for Kindergarten will increase based on local school district assessment scores by at least 10%.
- 5,000 children in targeted neighborhoods will receive the highest quality early childhood education and care each year.*
- 30,000 families a year will have age-appropriate books and read to their children on a regular basis.
- Early childhood development certificate and degree program graduation rates at Pima Community College will increase by 100% (from 38 in 2004-2005 to 76 in 2010-2011).
The Diamonds believe strongly that First Focus on Kids will achieve these goals with new funding and want other investors in our community to contribute to this early education effort. For every new investment of $5,000 or more for First Focus on Kids, the Diamond family will provide a 100% match.
* High quality is defined as services provided by centers that are accredited through the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Head Start PRISM review, or the National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA).
First Things First
Since 2008, First Focus on Kids (FFK) has been awarded more than $15 million from First Things First, Arizona’s early childhood development and health system. FFK is also a partner with other community agencies in implementing programs with FTF funding. Funds have been used to: implement a quality rating and improvement systems in child care centers and homes; provide accreditation and literacy support to centers; expand the number of child care slots available for infants and toddlers; provide financial incentives to early care and education professionals; strengthen existing parts and build new parts of the early childhood professional development system; and enroll children in health care programs.
For more information on First Things First, go to: www.azftf.gov
Quality First!
Quality First is Arizona’s voluntary quality improvement and rating system for early care and education programs serving children birth through age 5. The purpose of Quality First is to improve the quality of early care and education so young children can begin school safe, healthy and ready to succeed.
If accepted, a regulated center or home will be identified as an early care and education provider committed to delivering a quality program to Arizona’s youngest children.
Supports for participation include:
- Financial incentives for three years to help reach quality milestones
- Access to professional development and T.E.A.C.H. (Teacher Education and Compensation Helps) Early Childhood® Project scholarships
- Access to child care health consultants, experts in child health issues
- Coaching, individualized to provider needs
- Observational assessments to obtain a baseline and measure quality improvements
- Ability to use participation as a marketing tool with families looking for quality programs for their children
United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona is providing coaching and financial incentives to Quality First participants in Pima, Cochise, Santa Cruz, Mohave, La Paz, and Yuma counties. United Way delivers these services in partnership with Child & Family Resources, Easter Seals Blake Foundation, and Community Extension Programs.
Click here to apply online for Quality First!
For more information about Quality First, please contact:
Jill Morgan
Associate VP- Community Development
Click here to email Jill
520.903.3916
For more information on our Quality First partners:
|
|
|
