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First Things First

Oct 8, 2024

AG’s ruling highlights need for affordable child care

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes recently acknowledged the real-world challenges faced by political candidates with families when she issued a legal opinion establishing child care as a permissible campaign expense.  […]

childcare subsidies, Hobbs, First Things First, early childhood
Nov 15, 2023

Hobbs takes action that’s expected to lead to increased childcare subsidies

Calling it a matter of economic development, Gov. Katie Hobbs took the first steps Wednesday in what is expected to be a move to increase childcare subsidies in Arizona.

Aug 19, 2022

Solutions needed to address early learning crisis 

A single early education issue is costing Arizona $1.8 billion per year, threatening our state’s economic recovery and potentially putting thousands of kids at risk for educational failure: the ongoing childcare crisis.  

Sep 12, 2016

First Things First officials impress auditors, who conclude agency is well run

The Arizona Auditor General’s Office found a well-run agency that coordinates with other government entities and that’s planning for a future in which tobacco tax revenues, the main source of income that funds the more than $100 million in grants for child development programs issued annually by First Things First, are on the decline.

Aug 23, 2016

Arizona earns praise for teacher training database, despite pay concerns

Arizona won praise in a recent report for its program linking preschool teachers with training and scholarships, even as the report said low wages for those teachers could make such systems an exercise in futility.

Jul 20, 2016

Basha to head early childhood health and education board

The board overseeing Arizona's early childhood development program has chosen the woman who championed the 2006 voter initiative creating the agency as board chair.

Feb 5, 2016

Borrelli hoping for better luck on First Things First sweep

Rep. Sonny Borrelli is hoping to circumvent an obstructive committee chairman with a new plan to sweep funding for an early childhood development program.

Feb 3, 2016

Borrelli’s bluster hides truth about bill: bad education policy

I was disappointed to see Mr. (Sonny) Borrelli misrepresenting information about First Things First as a means of getting support for his latest bill to sweep the early childhood education funds, allegedly to help K-12 schools remediate kids not reading well in first and second grade.

Feb 2, 2016

First Things First money should be given to public schools

In 2006, Arizona voters passed a cigarette tax based on the promise of funding early childhood development programs through a newly created organization named “First Things First.” Taxpayers have become the victim of this promise, which was a great idea that has been misshapen and lost its way and original mission.

Nov 16, 2015

Biggs succeeds in getting audit of First Things First

Rebuffed in his efforts to sweep dollars from First Things First as a part of K-12 funding plans, Senate President Andy Biggs will still get an audit of the early […]

Senate President Andy Biggs (Photo by Ryan Cook/RJ Cook Photography)
Oct 9, 2015

Biggs calls for First Things First audit after agency opposes sweep

Just one day after the First Things First board formally opposed legislative leadership’s plan to sweep some of its funding for K-12 education, Senate President Andy Biggs called for an audit of the early childhood development and health program.

Proposition 123, Ducey, Supreme Court, school trust fund, special election, Michael Pierce
Oct 7, 2015

Early childhood development leaders fight attempt to raid funds

Board members of a voter-approved organization that funds programs to promote early childhood development are fighting a plan by legislative leaders to raid its dollars to instead increase aid for K-12 education.

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