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Region Stories

These stories illustrate how early childhood programs and services funded by First Things First make a difference for young children and families in communities across Arizona.

boy-in-classroom

Finding hope, making progress: How Angelo overcame Dysphagia

  • strong families

Three-year-old Angelo can count to twenty as he washes his hands. He loves to read books and has a lot of fun playing with his friends at school. But things…

Scholarships help young kids access early education

  • Quality First

​​​Balancing parenthood with higher education can sometimes be overwhelming, especially if young parents are far from home. Jessica moved to Tempe from…
young brother and sister

The most important job: Dad

  • home visitation

Duane works two jobs to provide for his family. But, he says his most important job is being a single father to Anaya, 4, and Myles, 6. And that includes…
First Things First Logo

Infants, parents take healthy steps together

  • parenting education

Healthy Steps Newborn Behavioral Observation (NBO) is a free program funded by First Things First and offered through Summit Regional Medical Center in Show…
boy-and-baby

Supporting teenage parents as their child’s first teachers

  • parenting education

Sienna knew she needed a lot more than a book when it came to knowing what to expect when she and her boyfriend found themselves expecting their first child.…
girl-with-crayons

Early literacy programs prepare Safford kindergartener for success

  • school readiness

Stacy Broman-McAdams was new to the Safford community when she first saw an ad for Toddler Story Time at the Safford Library.​Broman-McAdams, an experienced…
mom-teaching-toddler

Toddler blossoms through early learning scholarship

  • Quality First

Chandler mom Torre Valentine is a big proponent of quality early childhood education. “It helps to set a foundation for how (a child’s) future is going to…
messy-girl-painting

Parents as Teachers helps Yuma child find her words

  • parenting education

Abigail Rauso and her husband Michael were troubled when their baby Hannah was a little over a year old and not speaking words.The child would communicate in…
family-in-park

Parent mentoring builds strong, healthy families for a strong society

  • family support

When Rosa is asked about what she has learned from the Healthy Families program, the mother of three responds, “What haven’t I learned?”Healthy Families…

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