Communities In Schools - Tempe

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                       Media Contact: 

June 23, 2010                                                                                           Emma Gully 480.858.2307

First Things First to Fund Tempe & Kyrene Family Resource Centers

Tempe, AZ – Communities in Schools of Tempe and Kyrene (CIS), a program of Tempe Community Council, has been awarded a one year grant in the amount of $447,865 from First Things First.  The grant will support Family Resource Centers on school campuses in the Tempe Elementary and Kyrene Elementary School Districts.  The Resource Centers are community hubs where families can receive the information and services they need to ensure that their school-aged children come to school ready to learn.  Seven of the current resource centers, including the ones located at Aguilar Elementary, Frank Elementary, Fuller Elementary, Holdeman Elementary, Hudson Elementary, Wood Elementary, and the Kyrene Family Resource Center on the campus of Kyrene de los Ninos will expand services to families with children ages 0-5.   In addition, a new satellite of the Kyrene Family Resource Center will open on the campus of Kyrene Del Milenio to serve families in the Ahwatukee area.

CIS received the First Things First grant to provide a full range of educational workshops, parenting classes, and other opportunities free of charge.  Beginning this fall, families with young children can register for nutrition, early literacy, child development, and other classes, all offered in both English and Spanish.  A bilingual family counselor will be hired to work with families that need one-on-one support.  It is estimated that more than 1,000 families will be served in the first year, including teen parents at teen parents at Compadre High School. The goal of the Family Resource Centers is to support families with young children during the critical first years so that children will be healthy and enter kindergarten ready to learn.

A portion of the funds will be used to increase the hours of the parent liaisons that staff the Resource Centers.  New materials such as books and videos on early childhood topics will be available for parents to borrow, and childcare and bus passes will be made available to those families who need them to attend a workshop or class.

First Things First was created in 2006, when Arizona voters – through the Proposition 203 ballot initiative– decided to set aside 80 cents from each pack of cigarettes sold in order to fund the expansion of education and health programs for children from birth through age five. Under the terms of the proposition, decisions about how to best use the funds are made on a per-region basis by 31 councils made up of local leaders. The statewide board – which has final approval of the councils’ recommendations – is responsible for ensuring that the funds are used on programs proven to work at improving outcomes for children. www.azftf.gov

About Tempe Community Council

Tempe Community Council (TCC) is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is connecting those in need with those who care. TCC works in partnership with the City of Tempe and community organizations to serve as a planner, advocate, and resource to improve the funding and policies impacting human services in Tempe and surrounding communities.  Contact: 34 East 7^th Street, Building A ▪ Tempe, AZ  85281 ▪ (480) 858-2300 ▪ www.tempe.gov/tcc