In Arizona, school readiness begins with First Things First
School in Arizona begins earlier than other parts of the country. A number of school districts head back this month, while others stagger their start date across the early days of August. Regardless of the exact start time, the “back to school” season is in full swing, as stores stock notebooks, backpacks and crayons in prominent displays and kids familiarize themselves again with the sound of their alarm clocks.
For kids, school readiness begins well before the first day of school every year. It even begins before they line up for the first day of kindergarten.
First Things First, a legacy partner of Local First Arizona and an early childhood agency committed to supporting healthy development and learning for children from birth to the age of 5, is the state’s foremost authority on school readiness. As the state’s only funding source dedicated to supporting early childhood, First Things First invests in programs and strategies at the state and local level that help children prepare for success the moment their tiny sneakers walk into their kindergarten classrooms.
Academics is just one piece of the puzzle. Social and behavioral skills play a big role in school readiness, which is why programs that foster the development of those skills are so vital to healthy early childhood development.
First Things First programs, available across the state, offer support for families with young children, quality childcare and parenting guidance. The First Things First website offers a handy navigational tool that helps parents find the resources they need in the area they need it.
Here’s just a sample of what can be found when searching for Quality First childcare options.
Phoenix Quality First Childcare
Bright Horizons at Downtown Phoenix, 150 N. 4th Ave.
Greater Phoenix Urban League Head Start Marcos de Niza, 301 W. Pima Street.
Tutor Time, 725 E. Brill Street.
Booker T. Washington Child Development Center, 1522 E. Adams Street.
Kreative Kampus, 1729 E. Thomas Road.
East Valley Quality First Childcare
5th Place Community Childcare, 306 W. 5th Place, Mesa.
Tiny Tots West, 1024 W. University Drive, Mesa.
East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler.
Kid’s Corner Preschool, 1450 N. Gilbert Road, Gilbert.
Bridges Preschool, 20635 S. Old Ellsworth Road, Queen Creek.
Scottsdale Quality First Childcare
Little Kings and Queens, 4136 N. 82nd Street.
First Steps Preschool, 3110 N. Hayden Road.
Just like Home Daycare & Preschool, 2339 N. Hayden Road.
McCormick Preschool, 6018 N. Granite Reef Road.
Montessori Room, 4848 E. Thomas Road.
Tucson Quality First Childcare
Kiddie Korner Preschool, 242 W. Lester.
Creative Beginnings, 2690 N. 1st Ave.
Future Leaders School LLC, 345 W. Drachman Street.
Kids World Preschool, 321 E. Yavapai.
Little Ranch School, 1125 E. Glenn Street.
Rural Quality First Childcare
Precious Stones Preschool, 390 Dry Creek Road, Sedona.
Coolidge Head Start, 227 W. Pinkley Ave., Coolidge.
Shepherd’s Fold Child Care Center, 101 N. Lenzner Ave., Sierra Vista.
Kinder Prep Academy, 628 W. 5th Street, Safford.
Ready Set Grow Casa Grande LLC, 241 W. Cottonwood Lane, Casa Grande.
To find resources in your area, search the First Things First database.
