Region Stories

These stories illustrate how early childhood programs and services funded by First Things First make a difference for young children and families in communities across Arizona.

Honoring Carolyn Haro

August 15, 2025

Carolyn Mawson Haro, of Globe, passed away on July 24, 2025, in Tucson, after living with cancer. Fittingly born on Independence Day, Carolyn was known for her spirited personality and was often described as a firecracker.She was a… Read More

Carolyn Shelley is Yavapai’s 2018 Champion for Young Children

5/9/2018
champion

Caroyln Shelley has been selected as the 2018 First Things First Champion for Young Children in the Yavapai Region.The award is given to local champions who…

New Phoenix mom finds support to prepare her children to succeed in school

1/12/2018
school readiness

When Elizabeth Goings first moved to Phoenix with her husband, she did not have a lot of options for her young son, Joshua. With limited ability to speak…

College scholarship helps Pascua Yaqui teacher give her students a strong educational foundation

1/12/2018
tribal

After working for about a decade as an early childhood teacher at the Pascua Yaqui Head Start, Maria Jones had a decision to make.New regulations require…

Becoming kindergarten ready through pediatric care coordination in El Mirage

1/12/2018
parenting education

You may look at Gianna Cota today and see that she is a self-assured, motivated first grader who loves math and science, meeting new friends and learning new…

Good oral health becomes family tradition for Heber family

1/12/2018
oral health

For Tiffany Western and her five children, oral health has become a family tradition.First Things First funds the oral health program in the Navajo/Apache…

Four Peach Springs mothers, all sisters, find support for their young children through home…

1/12/2018
family support

Rochelle Kennedy enrolled in the Maternal Child Health program two years ago when she was pregnant with her daughter, Mia. Kennedy learned so much from her…

Quality First program helps Whiteriver child with speech difficulties find her voice

1/12/2018
Quality First

Military families face many challenges. From moving to a new town every two to four years to adjusting to the deployment of a family member, military…

Quality First scholarship helps Tohono O’odham family

1/12/2018
Quality First

Catherine Toro wanted her 2-year-old daughter Hailey to be somewhere that would help with her early childhood development.From the first day they visited…

Developmental screening program helps get Avondale preschooler ready for kindergarten

1/12/2018
developmental screenings

Maria Covarrubias of Avondale remembers watching her 3-year-old son Cesar, sitting by the door all day waiting for his older sister to return from…

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