First Things First donates $5.2 million for Yuma's young children

Last November, voters approved the continued funding of early childhood education by extending the 80-cents a pack cigarette tax to fund First Things First.

On Tuesday, officials from FTF were at Harvest Preparatory Academy to present the Yuma community with a $5.2 million check to help prepare children ages 5 and younger for kindergarten.

“I am so honored to be able to be here and highlight the importance of investing in our youngest children,” said FTF CEO Rhian Evans-Allvin. “And to celebrate the lives that have been changed by the commitment the voters made to children ages birth to 5 in Arizona.”

FTF was created by voters in 2006 when they approved Proposition 203. Its primary function is to distribute tobacco tax money to the 31 regional councils throughout the state.

Once the regional councils receive the money, they decide which children face the most difficult obstacles to early childhood education and allocate the money according to the specific needs of the community.

In Yuma, the money for fiscal year 2013 will be used to fund programs such as the At-Risk Newborn Program, which provides intensive home visitations to strengthen family relationships; Choices for Teens, which councils teen mothers; the Home Recruitment Program, which trains and helps license in-home day care providers; and the Parent Awareness Program, where a case manager visits and works with both parents and children inside the home.

Even though the program was created with intention of helping children, it's typically the parents who end up benefitting the most, Evans-Allvin said.

“Parents are their child's first and best teacher,” she said. “And kids don't come with an instruction manual so to be able to reinforce with parents their crucial role in their kids development has a major impact.”

One of the parents who benefited from the program, Ines Pampara, said her daughter experienced an immediate improvement after enrolling in one of the programs.

“My daughter did not qualify for WACOG and I could not afford a private school. So one of my major concerns was how was I going to get her into preschool until I found out about this program,” Pampara said. “She started preschool in September, and by December she was already recognizing her name on the Christmas presents under the tree.”

Pampara said that by the time her daughter completed the year she knew how to write her name, count to 20, knew her phonics and most of her shapes.

“It helped her tremendously. And right now she is in kindergarten and she is succeeding,” she said, “I would just like to thank First Things First for helping our children succeed in school because they are our future.”

If you would like more information on TFT, visit their website at www.azftf.gov or contact the regional director at (928) 343-3020.

Darren DaRonco can be reached at (928) 539-6857 or ddaronco@yumasun.com.