FIRST THINGS FIRST on LinkedIn: #azftf (2024)

The First Things First Board expressed concern over the recent implementation of a Department of Economic Security child care assistance waitlist for working families that may cause thousands of families to leave the workforce because they can’t afford child care.We are grateful for the investment the state made in child care assistance in this year’s budget. The $12 million allocation from the general fund is the state’s first investment in child care assistance for low-income working parents in over 15 years. This investment delayed the implementation of a waitlist for one month. We will continue to remind our state and federal leaders that quality child care is essential to the success of children and our state’s economy. Quality child care ensures that parents can work, that children can thrive and that Arizona’s businesses and economy can flourish.This waitlist means many children won't have a safe and affordable place to go while their parents are working and may force many of those parents to leave the workforce. In Arizona, 60% of young children live in households where all adults work, which means many of them need child care. And we know that quality child care prepares young children for success in school and in life.We also know the economic ripple effects of quality early learning for young children and how access to affordable, quality child care keeps working parents in the workforce. We look forward to working with our policymakers to ensure that child care isn’t a barrier to a strong economy for our state. Because when child care works, Arizona works.

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There's an easy, digestible way to learn about the work First Things First is doing to better the lives of Arizona's youngest children. Have you subscribed to our monthly newsletter yet? ☑️https://lnkd.in/gYPM6nyD

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Towns in Cochise County are geographically spread apart, which means families' needs for resources and support look different than they would in an urban setting.The #AZFTF Cochise Regional Council implemented a family support coordination strategy using Arizona's closed-loop referral system, CommunityCares, to better connect families with organizations that can help.Chicanos Por La Causa, Inc. (CPLC) was awarded a grant to help coordinate services that help ensure the families receive help finding basic necessities like child care and connecting families with food banks, as examples. Through the process, the families learn to advocate for themselves. Learn more about programs #AZFTF funds to support early childhood in Arizona: https://lnkd.in/g3m36BhK

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Did you know the community a child grows up in can shape their long-term development?Every other year, a new wave of passionate volunteers joins the dedicated members of the First Things First regional partnership councils across our state. What unites them? A shared commitment to improving the lives of babies, toddlers and preschoolers in their communities.These councils consist of 11 members who volunteer their time to identify and prioritize the local services and support systems that young children and their families need. Help us welcome new regional council members: https://lnkd.in/gFk8gusN

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#AZFTF believes child care is not just a family issue — it’s a statewide economic issue. A recent issue brief from the federal Council of Economic Advisers highlighted the need for sustainable solutions to make child care available to families that need it — families who often miss work due to child care affordability challenges."Ultimately, the ability of mothers, and parents more broadly, to participate fully in the labor force is often dependent on the extent to which child care supply can meet families’ growing demand at a price they can afford," the report states.You can help make change by having action-oriented conversations with businesses, government leaders and other organizations to raise awareness and increase business engagement in early childhood. Learn how at: https://lnkd.in/eUuadDaH

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Arizona's economic development starts with early childhood development. Access to affordable and dependable child care is important to working families—it's what supports employee retention and productivity in the workplace. Here's how your business can support working families in our state:☑️ Become more informed about early care and education by creating an employee survey.☑️ Help families access quality, reliable child care by providing resources.☑️ Create flexible benefit plans, support back-up child care options or set up an on-site or near-site child care program.#AzFTF offers a toolkit for Arizona businesses with resources and information to help support working families with young children and our state’s early childhood sector. Find the toolkit here: https://lnkd.in/gD2ZBCHf

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