Through surveys and interviews, this publication reveals that parents – regardless of income, education levels and ethnic background – basically want the same things from their child care providers: a safe, nurturing learning environment. The study also reveals that many parents face challenges in finding information about child care options in their communities, care that meets all of their expectations, and resources to pay for early learning programs.

This report provides baseline report on the current state of parents’ knowledge about children’s early development and parents’ perceptions of the resources currently available for young children and their families in Arizona. The results help identify parents’ current knowledge about early development as well as the areas in which families need additional support to access needed services for their child/children.

For kids 5 and younger in early learning programs, success is largely determined by the knowledge and skills of their teachers, and by the quality of the interactions with those educators. This publication describes how Arizona continues to struggle in educational attainment, wages and retention of its early learning workforce. It also offers recommendations for parents, providers, policymakers and other stakeholders on how we can all better support those responsible for helping infants, toddlers and preschoolers get ready for school and set for life!

Vision screening of children, unlike hearing screening, is not currently mandated by Arizona state law. The purpose of this document is to provide information, guidance and recommendations for implementing a vision screening program for children ages 3 and older in school and community settings. This document provides guidance and practical information on the screening process, appropriate screening tools, referral criteria and follow-up procedures.

The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) has prepared this report on the health status of Arizona women to highlight its commitment to the health and wellness of all Arizonans throughout the lifespan and its focus on prevention. It is the intention that the data contained in this report will serve as a baseline and that, in future reports, we will see progress toward creating a healthier Arizona.

This brief includes mortality data with an underlying cause of death coded to ICD-10 codes X20-X29, and hospital discharge data coded to ICD-9 codes 905.0-905.9. The hospital discharge data only include information from private, acute-care facilities. Data from rehabilitation hospitals, urgent care centers, or federal facilities, including Indian Health Services or Veteran’s Administration facilities, are not available.

In order to continue to provide crucial sexual violence prevention and education services to its statewide community, the Arizona Department of Health Services, Sexual Violence Prevention and Education Program began comprehensive planning in November 2006, the second year of a five-year funding cycle. The plan was developed as a means of achieving the vision of a culture that supports healthy, respectful relationships through primary prevention efforts and zero tolerance of sexual violence in Arizona communities.