For the third year, Pima County is funding preschool for children from low-income families as families across Arizona struggle to pay for child care for their young children.
Elena Romero, 25, is a single mother of two children. Thanks to a Pima Early Education Program scholarship, she is able to attend college while working and raising a family.
When Romero had her first child while in high school, finding a way to pay for child care and attend school was stressful. She dropped her child off at daycare before going to school, picked her up after school, and left the child with her father before working nights to pay for childcare.
“It was quite expensive and time-consuming,” she says. “very tired.”
Now, with her second child in kindergarten, Romero is working toward realizing her dreams by studying business at Pima Community College, thanks to child care assistance from the county.
Romero is just one of many parents who have benefited from Pima Early Education Program scholarships. In 2023, the program enabled 1,356 children from low-income families to attend preschool. The county also worked with the school district to open 17 additional preschool classes using Pima County scholarships.
Scholarships are awarded directly to donors and are available to families with a 3- or 4-year-old child and a 5-year-old child not enrolled in kindergarten. A family can qualify if their income is up to 300% of her federal poverty level.
This means a family of four with an income of less than $90,000 or a family of two with an income of less than $59,160 can qualify for the program.
Pima County is It's just one of several local governments. We are working to increase access to preschool across the state. Cities like Flagstaff, Phoenix and Mesa are also funding efforts to make preschool available to low-income families.
of Pima County Board of Supervisors allocates $30 million Pay the program fee for three years under the federal American Rescue Plan Act. At the start of his fourth year of the program, funding will come from a secondary property tax that funds the library district. The school district and other local governments, including Tucson, Marana and Oro Valley, have also allocated funds to the program.
How did the program begin?
The idea for the program began in 2015, when a group of citizens concerned about the lack and affordability of child care in Tucson came together to implement an initiative called “Strong Start Tucson,” or “Proposition 204.”
The bill was defeated in a 2017 poll. Critics were unhappy that the proposed funding would only benefit Tucson children and would come from sales taxes.
After the defeat, a group of voters formed a coalition and approached the county Board of Supervisors with proposals for funding early education programs.
Penelope Jacks is one of the members who helped lead this effort and is a past president of Strong Start Tucson.
“It was very frustrating at first,” Jacks said of the support from the board. “But then the county board of supervisors changed staff and they became more progressive.”
Former educator Rex Scott was elected to the board in 2020, along with supervisors Adelita Grijalva and Matt Heinz, who supported the proposal.
“I think it's the most important expense in the budget,” Scott said.
He reiterated the need for pre-school education.
“Kindergarten is not a luxury. It's not a frill. It's a necessity,” Scott said. “We don’t want low-income families in Pima County to have less access to preschool than families who can afford to pay for it.”
Why is preschool education important?
Supporters of the program tout a body of research showing how preschool education can contribute to poverty reduction.
the study showed Children who participate in high-quality early education programs and child care are more likely to graduate from high school, attend college, and earn higher incomes. These children are also less likely to become involved in the criminal justice system.
According to a 2017 report: Pre-kindergarten effect, research has shown that disadvantaged children and dual language learners benefit most from pre-K. However, all students benefit from preschool.
“Children who participate in various state and district preschool programs are better prepared for school at the end of the preschool year than children who do not participate in preschool programs.'' There is strong evidence,” the report said.
The study also points to the economic impact of a lack of affordable preschool education.
According to 2023 report According to the nonprofit organization ReadyNation, the lack of available child care facilities costs Arizona $4.7 billion annually in lost revenue, productivity, and revenue.
The report also found that early childhood care at centers in Arizona costs an average of $14,040 a year, more than one year's worth of tuition at a public university in the state.
Scott said supporting early education also has economic development benefits.
ReadyNation reports that the Arizona Department of Economic Security offers child care subsidies, but only subsidizes 30% of eligible children.pima Caunty's program can help bridge that gap and improve career prospects for parents like Romero.
“When I started childcare, I was able to attend more jobs, get a promotion at work, and save money to buy a house…It made it easier for me to go to school and further my career. ,” Romero said.
Here's where to contact the reporter: sarah.lapidus@gannett.com. The Republic's southern Arizona coverage is funded in part by a grant from Report for America. Support Arizona news coverage with a tax-deductible donation. supportjournalism.azcentral.com.
