Educare’s Extended Day program maximizes learning and kindergarten preparation time by operating year-round from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. It also provides working parents, many of whom are more stressed than ever due to the economic and social impact of the pandemic, with the confidence that their child is spending their day in a safe, high quality preschool program.
“For years, Educare Arizona has operated this nationally recognized, evidence-based early childhood program for young children and their families,” said Karen Ramos, Board President of Educare Arizona. “We are grateful to Thunderbirds Charities for this grant and their support of our efforts to expand the impact of our extended day program.”
Science has documented that the earliest days, weeks, months and years of life are a period of unparalleled growth when trillions of brain cell connections are made. The health and development of children is directly influenced by the quality of care and experiences with parents and other adults. How children are held, talked to and cared for teaches them about who they are and how they are valued. This profoundly shapes who children will become.
The investments made today in young children provide an important foundation for human development, with critical in-the-long-run links to economic earnings and opportunity later in life. More and more evidence suggests that there are aspects of early skills – achievement, behavior, and mental health—that if improved early in life can improve children’s life chances.
This grant is part of the Spring 2022 cycle. View a list of all Recent Grantees.