Tag: first things first

First Things First — Quality First Forums are Happening Now- Join Us Virtually or In Person!
We are grateful for you, the Quality First Participant. Your dedication, commitment, and hard work make a big difference in the lives of Arizona’s youngest learners. We are honored to support you in doing what you do best–helping young children be ready to succeed in school and in life.
Join us for the 2023 Quality First Forums! Hear new information from the Quality First team, ask questions, and meet other providers in your community. In-person and virtual options are available this year, and translation services will be available at select locations. The two-hour sessions will be held from January- March. To save your spot at the Forum of your choice, sign up via the Registry.
To find a list of events, login to the Registry and search Quality First Forum.

First Things First — Letter from FTF CEO, 2022 Impact Reports and new NICU reading corner
Letter from FTF CEO Melinda Morrison Gulick
As 2023 begins, Melinda shares her hopes for continuing to advance
First Things First’s mission to help all of Arizona’s young children learn and grow, as well as supporting child care providers who continue to recover from the long-lasting impact of the pandemic.

Feb. 1 — Arizona’s Children Association to present ‘First Five Year’s’ free parenting workshop in Williams
The Arizona’s Children Association Family Education & Support Services will present “First Five Years” free parenting workshop from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1 at the Williams Head Start, 310 W. Sherman Ave., Williams.
Includes materials and gifts for attending!
This series will help you nurture your child with a “just right” combination of freedom and positive discipline.

Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28 — Arizona’s Children Association to present ‘First Five Year’s free Virtual parenting workshop
The Arizona’s Children Association Family Education & Support Services will present “First Five Years” free Virtual parenting workshop from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays Feb. 7, 14, 21 and 28.
Includes materials and gifts for attending!
This 4-session series will help you nurture your child with a “just right” combination of freedom and positive discipline.

Jan. 21 — Arizona’s Children Association to present ‘First Five Year’s’ free parenting workshop
he Arizona’s Children Association to present ‘First Five Year’s’ free parenting workshop from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21
Includes materials and gifts for attending!
This single session workshop will help you nurture your child with a “just right” combination of freedom and positive discipline.

First Things First — A New Year’s resolution that’s fun to keep
Time is tight for most parents, but moments of focused attention help your child feel safe, secure and loved. So resolve to have more one-on-one play and conversation with your little one this year, away from phones and distractions. Check out our Parents Playbook video for some quality time highlights.

A look back at 2022 with FTF
As 2022 comes to a close, First Things First thanks you for your continued dedication to the healthy development and learning of Arizona’s babies, toddlers and preschoolers. In this issue, we reflect on the past year by highlighting some positive examples of Arizona’s communities working to support young children and their families, as well as some of our most popular articles.

Grant opportunities available for those who work with young children
Dozens of grant opportunities for organizations who serve Arizona’s babies, toddlers and preschoolers will be available soon from Arizona’s early childhood agency.
First Things First (FTF), which works across Arizona to give children birth to age 5 the tools they need to arrive at kindergarten prepared to succeed, is hoping to increase the awareness of about 80 grants that will be released in early 2023 to support early childhood strategies. The grants, which will be available across the state, are expected to range from $30,000 to $2 million.
“First Things First is looking for organizations that are passionate about children’s issues and that are embedded in our communities where services are needed,” said K. Vilay, FTF’s chief regional officer. “We know that these type of organizations have gained the trust of families living in those communities and carry a deep understanding of the culture and needs of the families living in those communities.”

A look back at 2022 with First Things First
As 2022 comes to a close, First Things First thanks you for your continued dedication to the healthy development and learning of Arizona’s babies, toddlers and preschoolers. In this issue, we reflect on the past year by highlighting some positive examples of Arizona’s communities working to support young children and their families, as well as some of our most popular articles.

First Things First — Thank you for participating!
We are grateful for your participation in this year’s activities to celebrate Native American Heritage Month (NAHM).
For this year’s theme, we focused on one of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (IDIL 2022-2023) outcomes, which is to empower Indigenous Peoples to learn, teach, and transmit their languages to current and next generations. Your participation in celebrating and honoring NAHM along with us has helped us to continue to expand our mission in collaborating with Arizona’s Indian tribes and nations to ensure all children are ready for school and set for life and to promote the IDIL 2022-2023 initiative.
During this month, we shared stories about children and families from tribal nations and communities in Arizona, debuted a blog about language preservation efforts in some FTF tribal regions, promoted champions for young children in our FTF regions and highlighted Arizona’s strong tribal presence.