SAFFORD — There are 3,794 children 0-5 years old in Graham and Greenlee counties, and 22 percent live in households at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level.
That’s according to data gathered for the First Things First 2026 Regional Needs and Assets Report, presented to the Graham/Greenlee Regional Partnership Council on March 25.
Sixty percent of the area’s young children live in a home with two married parents, 30 percent with one parent and 9 percent with relatives.
Eighteen percent of area households spend at least 30 percent of income on housing, and sending a child to a center-based care facility costs an average of 18 percent of the area’s median income.
Low birth rate in Graham and Greenlee counties has been declining over the four years of data collected, and sits at 5.5 percent as of 2023, well below Arizona’s average low birth rate of 8.1 percent. Pre-term births are also below the Arizona average, at 8.4 percent in Graham-Greenlee and 6.5 percent statewide. However, births to teen mothers has remained flat locally over the past five years, and is at 6.5 percent in Graham-Greenlee, compared to 4.5 percent statewide.
While 88.7 percent of local children enter kindergarten fully immunized, the infant mortality rate and young child mortality rate in the region exceeds the state rates. Graham-Greenlee experiences 7.5 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, compared to 5.7 infant deaths statewide. And in 2021-23, Graham County experienced 45.2 young child (ages 1-4) deaths per 100,000 child population, while statewide the data shows 29.8 young child deaths per 100,000 child population.
The University of Arizona’s CRED team compiled the data. The Partnership Council suggested the CRED team also consider the impact of the state’s empowerment scholarships (vouchers) on local schools, as well as graduation rates and GED performance; how many families are using the hospital’s Emergency Department for well child care; and how difficult it is to gather data on informal home-based child care options in the Gila Valley.
Along with the input offered by the Partnership Council, CRED will prepare a fist draft report for review by the council in May. A final draft of the report to identify needs, assets and gaps in the region is expected by June.
– David Bell Photo/Gila Valley Central
First Things First also recognized the retirement of Shari Elkins, who spent more than 30 years working for young children in the area, first with Easter Seals-Blake Foundation for 12 years and the last 18 with First Things First as regional director.
She received a number of items of appreciation for her service, including a proclamation in her honor from Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and an Arizona flag flown over the state Capitol on her birthday, March 12.
