Arizona Kith and Kin Project
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The goal of the Arizona Kith and Kin Project is to improve the quality of care provided by "kith and kin" (friends and family) child care providers. Kith and Kin providers care for the children of friends and family members and are, for the most part, unregulated and untrained. |
The Arizona Kith and Kin Project is funded by First Things First, the Arizona Republic/12 News Season for Sharing, City of Tempe-H2O Funds, the Valley of the Sun United Way, JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, and The USAA Foundation.
Kith and Kin Project History
Recent national and local research has shown that kith and kin providers, particularly in low-income communities, care for more than 50 percent of children with working parents. Many families prefer this form of care due to cultural and language considerations. Yet, there is little support or training available to these child care providers.
In response, ASCC developed the "Arizona Kith and Kin Project" in March of 1999. ASCC, along with a coalition of organizations, developed the project to strengthen the quality and reliability of kith and kin child care in Arizona.
Objectives
The Arizona Kith and Kin Project uses two (2) different models to provide support and training to kith and kin providers. Home visits (delivered one-on-one in participants homes) are offered in Yuma and Coconino counties in addition to the support-training groups that meet weekly for fourteen (14) weeks. Currently, the majority of the groups are facilitated in Spanish. The Kith and Kin Project works to:
- Provide early childhood training and support to kith and kin child care providers.
- Increase the kith and kin providers' knowledge of the elements of quality child care and of available community training and support resources.
- Increase the kith and kin providers' perceptions of the reliability and quality of the care they provide and their level of satisfaction with being child caregivers.
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Curriculum Subjects covered in each 14-week session include:
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- Parent/Caregiver Relationships (including business practices)
- Language and Literacy (including a Reading Is Fundamental book event and distribution)
- Brain Development
Additional topics and speakers are presented based on the individual needs and requests of the group and need for specialized training.
Guidelines
- Each support/training meeting is two hours in length
- Each group meets once a week for fourteen (14) weeks
- Six people minimum to start a group
- Twenty people in each group (maximum)
Eligibility
The Arizona Kith and Kin Project is open to kith and kin providers in Maricopa County, Yuma County, and Coconino County, space permitting.
Community Partners
Maricopa County:
- Aire Libre Elementary School
- Avondale Care 1st Center
- Booker T. Washington Head Start
- Children's Museum of Phoenix
- Deer Valley Head Start
- Desert Horizon Elementary School
- Garfield Elementary School
- Granada Elementary School
- Manuel Peña Elementary School
- Mathew Henson/Hope VI Project
- Murphy Head Start
- Murphy Health Center
- Orangedale Junior Prep Academy
- Osborn School District
- Southwest Human Development
- Sunset Elementary School
- Villa de Paz Elementary School
- Wesley Community Center
- Wilson Head Start
Yuma County:
- WACOG Head Start
Coconino County:
- Killip Elementary School
Contact the Kith and Kin Project
For more information, please contact:
480-829-0500 x 1126 (Maricopa County)
800-535-4599 x 1126 (Toll Free)
FAX: 480-829-9283
Email: socampo@asccaz.org
Kith and Kin Quick Links
- Kith and Kin Project History
- Objectives
- Curriculum
- Project Guidelines
- Eligibility
- Community Partners
- Contact Kith and Kin
Want to know more?
Arizona Kith and Kin Evaluation
Join the Kith and Kin Connection
The Arizona Kith and Kin Project has a new online bulletin board for all Arizona Kith and Kin Providers. To join, click on the link below:
