After nearly a decade of juggling motherhood and a job as a licensed practical nurse, Serena Hernandez decided to go back to school. She was ready to make the next stride in her career.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to open up the opportunities for myself,\u201d the single mom said. But the high cost of child care, especially a high-quality child care, gave her pause.<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t want to sacrifice her 3-year-old daughter\u2019s care. When her daughter, Aniyah, received a Quality First scholarship to
\ncontinue attending Great Expectations Early Learning Center in Sierra Vista, it brought immediate relief to Hernandez, whose budget tightened while taking classes.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a huge blessing for me,\u201d she said of her child\u2019s scholarship. \u201cIt allowed me to not have to work so I could focus on school because the program was full time.\u201d<\/p>\n
First Things First created the Quality First program to help child care providers in the state improve the quality of their programs in ways that help young children be ready for kindergarten. Participating in Quality First is free for regulated child care centers, homes and preschool programs in Arizona.<\/p>\n
The scholarships, funded through the FTF Cochise Regional Partnership Council, are available for children birth to age 5, so families in Cochise County can afford to send their children to providers who offer quality care and education.<\/p>\n
The scholarship allowed Aniyah, to stay at Great Expectations, where she had been enrolled since she was 10 months old. Hernandez sees a positive impact on her daughter\u2019s growth and development.<\/p>\n
Hernandez has no doubts that her preschool activities will serve her well as she enters kindergarten, just as they did for Aniyah\u2019s big sister, Kaliyah. Now 12, she attended the same early learning center and received a scholarship. When she turned 5, Kaliyah not only recognized letters and colors, but was also starting to
\nwrite, her mother said.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was really prepared for kindergarten,\u201d Hernandez said.<\/p>\n
Kaliyah, who will start seventh grade this year, through the years has continued doing well academically, Hernandez said.<\/p>\n
The scholarship assistance has been crucial for her family.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really been a big help because I got through my first round of school when Kaliyah was little and then my second round now that I am with my next little girl,\u201d Hernandez said.<\/p>\n
Knowing that Aniyah is receiving high-quality care makes her mother feel confident that she will have the skills needed to succeed in kindergarten.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s just not playing, she\u2019s learning all the time,\u201d said Serena Hernandez.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The FTF Cochise Regional Partnership Council funds Quality First Scholarships, which scholarships are available for children birth to age 5.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":48425,"template":"","tags":[182,291],"class_list":["post-48424","family-stories","type-family-stories","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-cochise","tag-quality-first-scholarships","regions-cochise"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n