The Children's Equity Project at ASU, in collaboration with Southwest Human Development, Arizona Early Childhood Alliance, and Children’s Action Alliance, will host an in-person presentation.

The launch event will promote the new report "Start with Equity Arizona: Increasing Access, Improving Quality, and Advancing Equity in Arizona’s Early Care and Learning Systems."

The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 30 at Educare Arizona, 1300 N. 48th St., in Phoenix.

According to a press release, the report examines Arizona’s early care and education system through a lens of equity and provides an actionable child policy agenda that addresses historical and contemporary shortfalls in the way it serves children, especially those from marginalized communities including Black, Latine(o/a), and Indigenous children; dual language learners; and children with disabilities.

"This report sheds light on the critical issues within Arizona's early care and education system and how we stack up against other states,” Shantel Meek, Ph.D., ASU Children's Equity Project founding executive director, stated. “It provides a roadmap for a more fair, healthy, prosperous future for our state, starting with our youngest.”

The presentation will provide attendees with an overview of the report's major findings and policy recommendations, offering insights into the various facets of Arizona's early care and education system and how it can be improved.

The panel discussion will offer diverse perspectives on key priorities to address access to, quality of, and equity in early learning programs, as well touch on how investments and policies can be shaped as the state moves into the 2024 legislative session and beyond.

Following the presentation and panel discussion, attendees will have the opportunity to network with state officials, legislative representatives, and early childhood leaders during a lunch reception.