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Our Results: Ensuring Children Succeed

Providing a Hands-On Approach to Learning.

In 2008, Valley of the Sun United Way-supported early child care programs served over 50,000 children birth to five years of age and distributed 22,000 School Readiness Kits to parents and care givers. Designed by leading Valley experts in early childhood development, each kit includes age-appropriate books and practical tips, as well as educational information to help pre-K children develop socially, emotionally, physically and intellectually. Priority is given to school districts that exhibit critical need through high-level dropout rates, at-risk youth and school readiness assessment scores.

What Parents Say

  • “It taught me to be patient, listen to my children, hear what they have to say, communicate with them on a daily basis, give them hugs and tell them how much I love them.”
  • “I learned that we are not alone in this journey. There are many resources in the community.”
  • “I know many new things on how to help and teach my children. I understand the importance of reading every day to our children and talking to them in complete sentences.”

In the coming year, Valley of the Sun United Way will implement a countywide strategy to improve the quality of early childcare settings. This strategy includes a partnership with First Things First, a voter-approved initiative to improve the quality of early childhood programs throughout Arizona, as well as the Helios Education Foundation, who provided a $2.5 million endowment to increase the educational level of directors, teachers and caregivers in the childcare industry in Maricopa County.

Join us on our quest to improve the futures of children in Arizona. Learn more about becoming a donor, and find out how you can volunteer.