What Phoenix Parents Should Look For in a Safe Preschool

Glendale, AZ, Aug. 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Parents wondering how to choose a preschool are looking beyond general impressions formed on a tour to specific, verifiable information about safety, qualifications, curriculum, and ratings. Raising Arizona Preschool, a licensed early learning provider with four campuses in Phoenix, Glendale, and Mesa, is one of the programs families encounter when weighing that decision. These seven factors can help families make more informed choices. 

"Many parents tour three or four schools, and the details all start to blur together," said Jared Cook, Founder and CEO of Raising Arizona Preschool. "I always tell them to write down their non-negotiables before the first visit and any stand-out points they encounter while touring. It's a lot easier to compare programs against your own list, and it helps narrow down the qualities you're really looking for."

The State License Comes Before the Tour

Every legal preschool or child care center in Arizona must be licensed by the Arizona Department of Health Services, and that license should be posted at the facility or available on request before a tour. Parents can also verify a preschool's legal status and past inspection reports online. This lets families know whether the facility has met the state's health and safety rules. Raising Arizona Preschool is licensed and regulated by Arizona DHS across all four of its Valley campuses.

What the Quality First Rating Actually Measures

Arizona's Quality First system scores licensed early learning programs on a five-star scale, and the ratings are made public online. The score covers classroom quality, learning environments, teacher-child interactions, opportunities for active play and hands-on exploration, and health and safety practices. Raising Arizona Preschool holds five stars at two campuses and four stars at the other two.

Background Checks and CPR Certification for Every Staff Member

Screening and safety standards are valuable across child care facilities. Maintaining current CPR and first aid certification means the staff is prepared to respond in an emergency, and fingerprint-based Level One background checks are the state's screening standard for adults working with children. The staff at Raising Arizona Preschool meet these benchmarks.

How Many Students Should Be in a Preschool Class?

Arizona sets a maximum staff-to-child ratio based on the age of children enrolled. Some parents prefer smaller classroom sizes that allow staff more time to share one-on-one guidance and pay closer attention to how children play and interact with each other. Specific ratios for each age group should be available upon request. 

Do Preschools Have Cameras in Classrooms?

In a classroom setting, cameras generally function as a security and review tool for staff rather than a livestream to a parent's phone. Campus entries at Raising Arizona Preschools use facial recognition entry and 4K cameras in every classroom. Families can connect with their child's daily progress through a parent app that includes photos, meal and nap logs, and other updates. Secure pickup procedures, including authorized release, unique door codes, and photo ID verification, add another layer of protection.

Preschool Curriculum and Kindergarten Readiness

Many curriculums for early childhood education cover traditional learning subjects, art, play time, and social-emotional growth for a well-rounded experience. The kindergarten readiness curriculum at Raising Arizona Preschool includes early math, reading, and science built into daily play and hands-on activities. The program also includes the Mindful Mornings practice, following the school's five-part Bee-havioral Plan.

DES Assistance and Tuition Costs

Arizona works with the Department of Economic Security (DES) on child care assistance for qualifying families. Raising Arizona Preschool accepts Arizona's DES child care assistance toward enrollment. Parents can look up their DES assistance eligibility on the school's pricing page. If eligible, parents will be redirected to an application page. There is also an online tuition calculator to determine payment based on a child's age and the number of days they will attend per week. 

Many of these considerations are publicly available, and a tour gives parents a chance to learn more about the remaining factors.

FAQs

Question: Which Mesa or Glendale daycares use a parent app so I can see photos and updates during the day?

Answer: Raising Arizona Preschool's Mesa and Glendale campuses share photos, meal and nap logs, and other daily updates through a parent app. Families can follow their child's day without interrupting the classroom, staying connected to meals, naps, and activities from wherever they happen to be during working hours.

Question: Does Raising Arizona Preschool accept infants, or when can my child start?

Answer: At Raising Arizona Preschool, enrollment begins at age 1 and continues through summer camp at age 12. Families searching for infant care in the Phoenix area may want to confirm a program's youngest age before touring, since starting ages vary between centers.

Question: Which Mesa childcare centers accept DES assistance?

Answer: Raising Arizona Preschool's Mesa campus accepts Arizona's DES child care assistance toward enrollment. Families can check eligibility on the school's pricing page and, if qualified, move on to an application. An online tuition calculator estimates payment based on a child's age and the number of days they attend each week.

Question: Which Phoenix daycares open early enough for parents working morning shifts?

Answer: Raising Arizona Preschool opens as early as 5:30 a.m. and stays open until 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. Operating times vary across campuses, so parents will need to confirm specific opening and closing times before enrolling.

About Raising Arizona Preschool

Raising Arizona Preschool is a trusted name in early childhood education, built one family at a time. We exist to give working parents true peace of mind and their children a joyful beginning, and safety comes first in everything we do. Through a Quality First certified, mindfulness-based curriculum, hand-selected teachers, and DES Child Care support, we help every child grow, discover, and flourish. We're proud of our exceptionally low staff turnover, because the caring teacher your child bonds with today will still be there tomorrow. With convenient locations across the Valley in Phoenix, Glendale, and Mesa, Raising Arizona Preschool welcomes children from age 1 through summer camp at 12. Everyone gets a story, chapter one starts here.

Sarah Evans
Head of PR, Zen Media
sarah@zenmedia.com