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.

Grandmother, mother and two small children looking at the camera.

Caregiving program helps Yuma grandmother better understand child development

September 24, 2025
Yuma family friend and neighbor care

Family, Friend and Neighbor Care provides support to informal caregivers who are caring for a small group of young children in a home setting. Read More

Finding hope, making progress: How Angelo overcame Dysphagia

7/18/2016
strong families

Three-year-old Angelo can count to twenty as he washes his hands. He loves to read books and has a lot of fun playing with his friends at school. But things…

Scholarships help young kids access early education

7/18/2016
Quality First

Balancing parenthood with higher education can sometimes be overwhelming, especially if young parents are far from home. Jessica moved to Tempe from…

The most important job: Dad

7/18/2016
single parent

Duane works two jobs to provide for his family. But, he says his most important job is being a single father to Anaya, 4, and Myles, 6. And that includes…

Infants, parents take healthy steps together

7/18/2016
parenting education

Healthy Steps Newborn Behavioral Observation (NBO) is a free program funded by First Things First and offered through Summit Regional Medical Center in Show…

Supporting teenage parents as their child’s first teachers

7/18/2016
parenting education

Sienna knew she needed a lot more than a book when it came to knowing what to expect when she and her boyfriend found themselves expecting their first child.…

Early literacy programs prepare Safford kindergartener for success

7/18/2016
language & literacy

Stacy Broman-McAdams was new to the Safford community when she first saw an ad for Toddler Story Time at the Safford Library.Broman-McAdams, an experienced…

Toddler blossoms through early learning scholarship

7/18/2016
Quality First

Chandler mom Torre Valentine is a big proponent of quality early childhood education. “It helps to set a foundation for how (a child’s) future is going to…

Parents as Teachers helps Yuma child find her words

7/18/2016
parenting education

Abigail Rauso and her husband Michael were troubled when their baby Hannah was a little over a year old and not speaking words.The child would communicate in…

Parent mentoring builds strong, healthy families for a strong society

7/18/2016
family support

When Rosa is asked about what she has learned from the Healthy Families program, the mother of three responds, “What haven’t I learned?”Healthy Families…

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