When Eduardo Jr. and Margarita Lino started looking for child care for their 2-year-old son, Albert, they didn\u2019t know what to expect.<\/p>\n
Their neighbors had told them of an in-home child care center that offered scholarships for eligible families.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy first thought was it would just be another place that watched kids, Margarito Lino said. \u201cI was wrong, it was much more. I soon realized that I wasn\u2019t just leaving my child to be watched, I was putting Albert in an environment where he would be nurtured and exposed to early learning.\u201d<\/p>\n
With help from a Quality First scholarship, the Linos enrolled Albert at Deshika Perera\u2019s licensed in-home child care in Buckeye, which serves children ages 1 to 5. Perera\u2019s center participates in First Things First\u2019s signature program, Quality First, which uses research proven methods to create nurturing, educational and social environments so children can be prepared for and succeed in kindergarten.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the beginning, Deshika would send us text updates and pictures, this really put our minds at ease and helped in the transition of leaving our first born in a new environment,\u201d Margarita Lino said.<\/p>\n
The Linos soon began noticing changes in Albert\u2019s desire to explore and his good manners. He also always wanted to learn more because his mind was being stimulated.<\/p>\n
Today, Albert is 4 years old and recently tested early into kindergarten. Albert\u2019s younger brother, Ezekiel, now goes to Perera\u2019s in-home child care. The Linos believe Albert\u2019s ability to test early into kindergarten is due to the partnership shared between them and Perera\u2019s Quality First home child care.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has helped the boys so much,\u201d Eduardo Lino said. \u201cThey have gained so many tools, and we see the difference. They are so smart. But you also have to do your part. Learning begins at birth and you must continue the positive interactions at home. It is a shared responsibility.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
With help from a Quality First scholarship, the Linos enrolled their son in a licensed in-home child care center in Buckeye.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":19838,"template":"","tags":[93,165],"class_list":["post-19837","family-stories","type-family-stories","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-quality-first","tag-southwest-maricopa","regions-southwest-maricopa"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n