Printable VersionOrganizations and individuals with a stake in the welfare of the youngest children and their families had a chance to help shape the plan for spending a possible $2.5 million in tax money Monday.
Representatives from the Lake Havasu Unified School District, Mohave Community College, Interagency Council, Arizona's Children, local churches, daycare centers and government agency offices put their heads together to brainstorm about programs that have already proved successful in the region.
"We really want you to focus on the strengths. We want you to focus on the hopes and dreams you have for children and families in this region," said First Things First regional coordinator Merritt Beckett. "It's more productive and positive to focus on what's right."
The goals of the initiative include improving the quality of and access to early childhood development and health programs, offer parent and family support, increase coordination among stakeholders and raise pubic awareness.
First Things First is funded by an 80-cent per pack tax on cigarettes created with the passage of Proposition 203 in November 2006. Money from the tax is targeted toward creating a comprehensive system of programs for children from birth to kindergarten that ensure they "start school healthy and ready to succeed," Beckett said.
After identifying a set of 15 common, statewide goals, 31 regional councils were formed to prioritize those goals for their regions.
"It's really the local decision making which is critical because, as we know, resources are not always distributed equitably across our state," Beckett said.
Each council is made up of 11 members from diverse walks of life, including educators, business people and parents.
"The people who wrote Proposition 203 intended that people from different backgrounds come together to make these decisions," Beckett said.
The state's Early Childhood Development and Health Board, which oversees First Things First, is expected to approve a $2.5 million allocation for the La Paz/Mohave region today. The allocations are based on the percentage of young children who live in poverty in each region, Beckett said.
The regional council will conduct its own needs and assets assessment and incorporate input from stakeholder meetings to develop a three-year strategic plan for distributing the funds. If the plan is approved by the board, the council could start accepting grant applications in January and local communities could see Prop. 203 monies coming back by July.
"We know the process takes a long time, but it ensures we'll have measurable results. Ten years from now we want to be able to say, here's what we did with your money," Beckett said.
You may contact the reporter at dparker@havasunews.com.
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