No images? Click here Celebrating Week of the Young ChildHigh-quality child care is an investment in Arizona's economy, ensuring children can learn and grow, parents can earn a living and support their families, and communities thrive. But in Arizona, child care challenges will cost an estimated loss of $1.7 billion to the state's economy annually. This week — and every week — we encourage you to show your support for early childhood education and educators. Through the Arizona Child Care Infrastructure Grant program, we met child care providers across the state improving their child care facilities and opening new ones so that more families in their communities could access high-quality child care. Read on for how early learning and child care providers are working to support Arizona's youngest children and their families. In January, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe broke ground on Itom Ili Tosapo Am Remtituane—Our Little Nest of Enlightenment Early Childhood Learning Center. Decades in the making, this project fulfills a community desire for more child care. Once opened, it will care for 124 kids. Gloria Montelongo’s smile and laugh immediately wrap you in a sense of warmth and care, making her family child care home in Santa Cruz County feel like being cared for by family. Gloria’s priority was to maximize space for children to play outside. Cocopah Day Care serves 40 kids enrolled in the Cocopah Indian Tribe of Somerton in Yuma County. Cocopah Day Care made health and safety improvements and renovated its playground. Children and teachers alike love spending more time outside. Helping child care providers grow their skillsLast month, we released a report highlighting the impacts and learnings from the $60 million Arizona Child Care Infrastructure Grant. Grantees not only improved the quality, capacity, health, and safety of their facilities, but developed skills that will last beyond the grant program. Some managed a renovation project for the first time, learning more about municipal permitting and quality facility design. Grantees increased their financial skills, familiarizing themselves with profit-and-loss statements, while others grew more comfortable working with technology. Other Program Impacts, by Number of GranteesOverall, more than half of grantees felt better connected to resources at the conclusion of the grant program. The Arizona Child Care Infrastructure Grant shows that funding paired with intentional technical assistance can lead to lasting capacity-building in the child care sector. Read the full report for more insights. |