Studies show that when children have access to high quality early childhood education, they are more prepared for school and in life. Local governments like Pima County understood that in order for their community to thrive long-term, they must address the issue from the start.
In 2021, the Pima County Board of Supervisors created the Pima Early Education Program Scholarships (PEEPs) to improve the quality and affordability of child care. PEEPs has been proven to be an extremely successful program and is considering how it can be expanded.
What they did
Pima County allocated $30.2 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to fund PEEPs. Combined with county and town contracts, as well as Pima County Library District-allocated funding, these resources provide approximately $10 million annually to sustain the program.
The results
- Improved Ratings: 94% of preschools offering PEEPS have a 3-star rating or above from First Things First’s Quality First program, making a 14% improvement since PEEPS launched.
- Student Impact: More than 6,000 students have received high-quality early childhood education collectively through PEEPS and partners.
- High Satisfaction: 95% of parents were “Very Satisfied” with improvement in their child’s motor, social, language and emotional skills and plan to keep their child in preschool until they enter kindergarten.
As Pima County Supervisor Andrés Cano explained, “PEEPS lowers costs for parents and provides every eligible child with access to quality preschool. Nearly 2,000 Pima County families will continue to receive access to preschool scholarships in the year ahead, with no cuts to student enrollment.”
Investing in early childhood education is smart economic sense. When that happens:
- Working families can stay in the workforce while being to afford high quality child care.
- Children receive high quality child care.
- Communities and the economy thrive with higher graduation rates and greater economic productivity.
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