Effective July 1, 2025
At First Things First, we are committed to supporting early care and education providers to improve the quality of care for Arizona’s youngest children. To ensure Quality First can continue to meet its goals and expand opportunities to more programs in the future, adjustments to funding amounts for Pursuing Quality (1-2 star) participants will take effect on July 1, 2025.
These changes reflect our ongoing commitment to supporting programs in their quality improvement efforts while positioning Quality First to have a broader impact statewide.
Pursuing Quality (1-2 star) new annual funding amounts
- Homes and small centers: Up to $5,000
- Medium and large centers: Up to $10,000
Participants will no longer have access to up to $20,000 for quality improvements. Instead, participants will have access to the amounts above depending on your program’s size. Funds will remain available to eligible participants to support quality improvement efforts as outlined in their Quality Improvement Plans. Funds will continue to be accessed through the Quality First coach.
Why the Change?
Based on how quality improvement funding has been used, we found many participants use less funding than currently provided to purchase materials for their improvement plans. While the additional funding has helped participants make improvements, these adjustments will allow us to invest in additional programs. First Things First plans to expand the number of rated programs across the state, extending the opportunity to understand the quality of child care in our communities.
There are no changes to funding levels for Achieving Quality (3-star) or Continuing Quality (4-5 star) participants.
These updates are not related to any recent federal changes or cuts.
We Are Here for You
We reassure you that these decisions were made with careful consideration of how to balance the needs of current participants with our goal of expanding access and improving quality statewide.
If you have questions about this change or how it may impact your program, your Quality First coach and coordinator are here to support you.
You can also contact the First Things First Quality First team directly at QualityFirst@FirstThingsFirst.org or 602-771-5000.
You may also contact the First Things First Regional team. Find contact information on your region’s page at FirstThingsFirst.org/governance/ftf-regions/find-your-region/.