{"id":39497,"date":"2021-09-15T23:13:42","date_gmt":"2021-09-15T23:13:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/ftf\/?p=39497"},"modified":"2022-05-18T17:48:45","modified_gmt":"2022-05-18T17:48:45","slug":"pima-county-collaboration-makes-high-quality-early-learning-more-accessible-to-preschoolers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ftf-stg.magnetry.com\/es\/2021\/09\/pima-county-collaboration-makes-high-quality-early-learning-more-accessible-to-preschoolers\/","title":{"rendered":"Pima County collaboration makes high-quality early learning more accessible to preschoolers"},"content":{"rendered":"

After years of mobilizing to expand preschool opportunities, early childhood advocates in Pima County have succeeded in securing funding for about 1,200 scholarships for preschoolers.<\/p>\n

The Pima County Board of Supervisors earlier this year, approved $10 million in funding for early education scholarships for 3- to 5-year-old children. In addition, almost $3 million has been added from cities, towns and other partners.<\/p>\n

The Pima Early Education Program scholarships (PEEPs) provide funding for local school districts and preschool providers to offer scholarships to qualifying families. This will be a lifesaver of many families who can\u2019t afford the cost of preschool.<\/p>\n

The cost of child care varies across Arizona and within individual communities and each provider sets their own rates. But child care for 3- to 5-year olds in Pima County averages about $167 per week, according to Arizona Child Care Resource and Referral<\/a>, which publishes rates based on the\u00a02018\u00a0Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) Market Rate Survey.<\/p>\n

A portion of the PEEPs money will allow First Things First to offer 600 Quality First scholarships for eligible families in the FTF Pima North and Pima South regions to enroll their child in quality early learning programs that participate in Quality First, Arizona’s quality improvement and rating system.<\/p>\n

Watching the early childhood advocates make the case for funding high-quality early education is inspiring and not something that happened overnight, said Monica Brinkerhoff, associate vice president of early childhood education for the United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe exciting thing about PEEPs, what made the initiative so successful is the diverse group of people coming together to make it happen,\u201d Brinkerhoff said. \u201cNonprofit, private individuals and government stepped up to the plate. It was a radical act of leadership on behalf of Pima County. Mobilizing people behind this kind of cause can take many years.\u00a0 But we did it!\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the largest supporters of quality early programs in Pima County is Preschool Promise, made of a coalition of educators, business leaders, community organizations, parents and concerned citizens who support the goal of making high-quality preschool available for all southern Arizona children a reality. A 2017 ballot initiative, called Smart Start Tucson, proposed a half-cent sales tax that would have meant about $50 million a year for early learning programs. It failed among voters, so the organization looked for a new way forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the guiding principles is to work within existing systems. That was essential,\u201d said Nicole Fyffe of the Pima County Administrator\u2019s Office. Having the Quality First system already in place was a big plus to get providers on board, because many already know how the program works, she said.<\/p>\n

According to the county, in addition to the Quality First scholarships, PEEPs includes:<\/p>\n