900 Arizona children to gain access to child care, Gov. Hobbs announces

PHOENIX — Following the passage of the state budget, which allocates $125.9 million in state and federal funds for childcare, 900 children in Arizona will now receive financial assistance to attend child care programs.

According to Gov. Katie Hobbs’ office, the families who qualify will be notified of their removal from the wait list for the Department of Economic Security’s (DES) Child Care Assistance Program.

The program helps families afford child care for children under 13 years old, in order to help parents or guardians work, go to school or take part in other approved activities or programs.

Families must be at or below the federal poverty line to receive the aid and must reply to DES by Friday to accept the funding.

What is the Child Care Assistance Program?

The program helps families afford child care for children under 13 years old, in order to help parents or guardians work, go to school or take part in other approved activities or programs.

Families must be at or below the federal poverty line to receive the aid and must reply to DES by Friday to accept the funding.

The wait list for the program was created in 2008 after money for child care was cut from Arizona’s budget. The original list remained active until 2019, when federal grants made it so the list was no longer needed.

However, due to funding cuts and increased demand, the wait list was reinstated in 2024.

According to DES, as of July 18, there were more than 3,600 families and more than 6,100 children on the wait list. This funding will help bring that number down slightly.

In a statement Monday, Hobbs said she would continue to fight to make child care more accessible.

“When I’ve traveled across the state, I’ve heard from families who are struggling to afford child care and moms who put their careers on hold to care for their kids,” Hobbs said. “These stories are exactly why I’ve made it a priority to expand pathways to child care.”

Joe Barba, the senior director of government affairs for education state agency First Things First, explained the state and federal investment will help Arizona kids succeed in their future.

“Those early years are really the most beneficial,” Barba said. “We know 90% of brain development happens during that time, and so that goes and that plays into that long-term educational experience for the child. So, when they’re able to get the quality setting, get the care that they need, they’re ready and more prepared to go into K-12.”

How families will benefit from child care assistance

According to Hobbs’ statement, this is the largest investment of general funds for child care since the Great Recession in 2008.

Barba said that impacts more than just the children; parents can work during the day if their kids are at child care, and that affects the whole state.

“Roughly thousands of parents across the state stay in the workforce,” Barba explained. “Caregivers, parents can participate in the workforce, children get quality early learning that they need to thrive, and businesses are able to benefit by retaining the workers.”

Families can get more information on Arizona’s Child Care Assistance Program on the Department of Economic Security’s website.

Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.

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