The data presented in this report show that poisoning is a public health problem that impacts the lives of thousands of Arizona residents each year. These injuries can occur throughout the life span, and like so many injuries, poisonings are predictable and preventable. Understanding the circumstances of poisonings is an important step towards educating and empowering communities and implementing prevention strategies.
Health Start is a neighborhood outreach program that helps high-risk pregnant women obtain early and consistent prenatal care and, for their children, timely immunizations. Its mission is to educate, support, and advocate for families at risk by promoting optimal use of community based family health and education services through the use of community health workers, who live in, and reflect the ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic characteristics of the community they serve.
The Project conducted a State‐level environmental scan to develop a more comprehensive picture of the early childhood‐serving environment in Arizona. An effort was made to identify current funds utilized across multiple State agencies that support programs to address the physical, emotional, social, cognitive, and behavioral health of children from birth to eight years of age. This report describes the landscape of systems, programs and other resources currently available in Arizona that are working to address challenges facing young children, birth to age eight, and their families.
Building Bright Futures is First Things First’s biennial assessment on the needs of young children in Arizona. This report gives all Arizonans a starting place for conversations about the challenges faced by children birth to 5 years old and how their communities can best meet those needs.
First Things First is one of the critical partners in creating a family-centered, comprehensive, collaborative and high-quality early childhood system that supports the development, health and early education of all Arizona children from birth through age 5.
Strong families are the cornerstone of thriving communities. Turns out, they hold one of the keys to their child’s academic success, as well. The majority of a child’s brain develops by the time she is 5 years old, and the strength of a child’s relationships with her family and early caregivers determines whether her brain will develop in healthy ways that promote learning.
The prevalence of obesity among 2- to 5-year-olds has more than tripled since the 1970s, and multiple studies are showing increased levels of high blood pressure and diabetes in grade schoolers. Poor nutrition has also been linked to developmental delays and dental problems in young kids. This policy brief outlines the problem of early childhood obesity, defines First Things First’s role in supporting healthy weight in young kids, and identifies possible solutions for families, early childhood educators and communities.
First Things First discusses the link between great early childhood teachers and young children’s learning. The brief details professional development opportunities in Arizona and what First Things First and other organizations are doing to improve the early childhood workforce.
First Things First discusses the link between school readiness and early language levels. Last year, nearly 1 in 4 Arizona third graders did not pass the reading portion of the state standardized test. The number of words a child knows at age 3 strongly correlates with reading and comprehension levels at ages 9 and 10. The brief details how First Things First infuses literacy in to its funded programs and offers parents and caregivers tips on how they can support language and literacy development in their child.
First Things First examines the need for a quality rating and improvement system, and how Quality First can standardize and help improve early child care in Arizona.