Desert Messenger

FIRST THINGS FIRST CON'T FROM PAGE 1 Meet the Candidates planned for Monday, June 24th. The public is invited to a Meet and Greet the Candidates Forum Monday, June 24, 2024. The forum is hosted by Desert Messenger News. The fo- rum will be held at the Quartzsite Se- nior Center, 40 N. Moon Mountain Ave., Quartzsite. Candidates are en- couraged to bring promotional ma- terials to share with voters. Doors open to the Public at 6:00pm for meet and greet with the can- didates at their tables. Candidates Forum will start at 6:30pm Refresh- ments will be available. • Each Candidate will be allowed a 3 minute Introduction • Prepared questions will be pre- sented. The number of questions is dependent on the number of Candi- dates in attendance. Decorum will be required from ALL attendees. For more information con- tact Shanana Rain Golden- Bear 928-916-4235 or email desertmessenger7@yahoo.com Meet the Candidates planned 18 DesertMessenger.com May 15, 2024 Research also shows that children in quality early education programs do better in school and are more likely to graduate from high school. They also tend to be more productive members of society. She said quality child care impacts each and every in- dustry and economic sector. Gulick said, "We've seen that one year of infant care costs more than in-state college tuition. It is a huge economic impact for families." She continued, "Even before the pan- demic 48% Arizona was a childcare desert. There are more children than space available in childcare centers." "Over the last 3 years, Arizona's struggling child care industry has been supported by $1.3B in emer- gency federal pandemic relief fund- ing," said Gulick. "But that funding is ending and more child care pro- viders may be forced to close their doors." The attendees learned: • Children who have quality early learning experiences - whether that be with attentive family or friends, in home-based settings or in a child care center or preschool - have better long-term outcomes. • 60% of infants, toddlers and pre- schoolers in AZ live in homes where all the adults work. • 48% of Arizona is considered a child care desert, which refers to ar- eas where there are too few licensed child care slots for the number of children who need care. • 90% of AZ working families say their child care costs have increased. • Just in the past 90 days 82% of those surveyed have missed work due to child care issues. • This crisis costs the state, busi- nesses and families about $4.7 bil- lion annually in lost earnings, pro- ductivity and revenue. Participants brainstormed in collab- orative discussions to identify prac- tical strategies that businesses can implement to support their employ- ees who are parents. Attendees also shared that there is only one licensed child care provider in La Paz County, in addition to two Head Start sites and school district preschool pro- grams which are only half-day and primarily serve children with special needs. Key outcomes included the need to foster more networking, such as con- necting with other business leaders, community advocates and experts to forge meaningful partnerships for positive change. Participants consider how to recruit more home- based child care providers - there are supports available through Child Care Resource & Referral. The demand is clear - new busi- nesses are interested in moving into the Quartzsite community and existing businesses are expanding. Quartzsite population balloons from about 2,400 in the off-season to an estimated 500,000 to one million each year, many with children. Gulick challenged the group asking, "How can we broaden the conver- sation so that we're thinking about childcare as a community amenity, as a community service, as a very important investment into our com- munity's future?" Participants shared the following information: • Faith communities may be inter- ested in opening up child care. • Quartzsite School District may have room at one school that is not being utilized. But funding to sup- port a child care program would need to be found. • About 30 students are enrolled in early childhood education classes at the high school in Parker. • The CRIT Head Start program is building a new larger facility closer to where families live, expected to open in August 2025. • Bouse School District and employ- ers in La Paz County, such as the egg farm and garage door manufacturing may develop a partnership to sup- port child care in Bouse. BUSINESS AND EMPLOYER RESOURCES There are many resources to help employees find child care and to learn about child care assistance programs. Learn about flexible ben- efit plans, back-up child care options and other family-friendly policies to help your employees. Please visit https://www.firstthingsfirst.org/ take-action. ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BECOMING A CERTIFIED FAMILY CHILD CARE PROVIDER? The Arizona Department of Eco- nomic Security (DES) certifies fam- ily child care providers to care for up to four children in their home. There is a great need for providers includ- ing those who care for infants and for homes that are available to pro- vide care during evening, overnight, weekday and weekend hours. If you believe you meet the requirements to become a Certified Family Child Care Provider, please visit https:// des.az.gov/services/child-and-fam- ily/child-care/become-certified-des- child-care-provider. PARENT HELPLINE Parenting is hard. Parenting Help is just a Phone Call Away. The Birth to Five Helpline is a free service open to all Arizona families of young children birth to age 5. Early child- hood experts are available by phone — Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. — to answer any parenting questions, from basic health and nu- trition to how to handle challenging behaviors and more. The Birth to Five Helpline is a pro- gram of Southwest Human Develop- ment and is partially funded by First Things First. Call: Call 877-705-KIDS (5437). CONNECT with First Things First in your Arizona community to learn more and join the early childhood movement. Visit www.firstthingsfirst.org "Child care plays an important role in Arizona's economy. Our state's economic development starts with early childhood development."

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