Category: Announcement

Children’s Action Alliance Shares 2026 Leadership Transition 

We have transition news to share at Children’s Action Alliance. This summer, January Contreras, current Executive Director, will transition out of her role after leading Arizona’s longstanding children’s advocacy organization since 2023.

“At a time when children in Arizona especially need champions, it has been an incredible privilege to lead the Children’s Action Alliance legacy of defending and advancing policy that makes children healthier, safer, and more economically secure,” said January Contreras. “If state and federal budgets and policies were committed to the stability and success of children, it would be a stronger and more just future for all of us. I am proud and grateful to work towards this future with Children’s Action Alliance, and I know that the talented staff and committed board of directors will continue the important work to realize this vision. In the months ahead, I am glad to have plenty of time to share thanks with partners, funders, and this organization’s dedicated community of supporters.”

January’s legacy includes the launch of the Families First Forum and the State of Kids Community Convening Road Show. She played an instrumental role in strengthening outreach to rural Arizona communities, supporting young people who have transitioned out of the foster care system through the Opportunity Passport program, and leading passionate colleagues to inform and mobilize a diverse and large network of stakeholders while engaging against federal cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). During her tenure, the Children’s Action Alliance team continued its tradition of relentlessly advocating for children at the State Capitol, built the Changemakers parent leadership and advocacy program, raised the highest amount of funds from individual donors and the annual leadership awards event since 2020, and launched the largest Opportunity Passport cohort since before the pandemic.

“January’s deep executive leadership and policy record have served our organization in incredibly important ways, and her genuine dedication to Arizona’s children and families has truly strengthened Children’s Action Alliance’s ability to deliver our mission,” said David Higuera, Board Chair of Children’s Action Alliance. “While we will miss January’s leadership, we appreciate the ways she fortified our infrastructure, advocacy, and on-the-ground community engagement. Most of all, she assembled a team of passionate and knowledgeable staff who will carry out this important mission into the future.”

Children’s Action Alliance Board of Directors is launching a comprehensive search for a new Executive Director. This search will be led by The Duffy Group. While January looks forward to exploring new projects and professional interests, she remains fully committed to supporting the mission-driven work of CAA until the torch is passed to a new leader. She will continue to serve in her role with the same level of commitment through June 5 to support a smooth and thoughtful transition.

For more information or to apply to serve as the Executive Director, please contact The Duffy Group:

Colleen Neese
Practice Leader, Non-Profits
602-802-8329
cneese@duffygroup.com

Beth Christensen
Executive Recruiter
602-612-5586
bchristensen@duffygroup.com

Children’s Action Alliance is deeply committed to its mission of advancing an Arizona where all children and families.

Together for Arizona’s Future: A Year-End Reflection

As we close a challenging advocacy year, we are filled with hope and gratitude. This year we had the opportunity to connect, learn, and share throughout Arizona while meeting with incredible community leaders, advocates, and policy makers.

From community gatherings on kinship caregiving and child care, to the State of Kids Roadshow and Families First Forum, to webinars on federal funding cuts, what remained true across all our efforts and connections is the commitment and passion that continues among Arizonans to support children and families.

We extend our gratitude to our incredible community partners, funders, and each individual who continues to support our work. It means the world to us to be in this work together.

Together, we will continue to build an Arizona where all children and families thrive.

We hope that the upcoming year brings you moments of rest, joy, and hope.

Champions for Children Awards Luncheon 2025

The Champions for Children Awards Luncheon is the annual fundraising event for Children’s Action Alliance (CAA). This annual gathering brings together leaders, advocates, and community members who share a deep commitment to ensuring every child in Arizona has the opportunity to thrive.

Each year, we honor individuals and organizations whose advocacy has made and continues to make a lasting impact in the lives of children and families. It’s an inspiring afternoon of connection, celebration, and purpose, marking our most important fundraiser of the year.

What to Expect

When: Thursday, October 9, 2025, from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM

Where: The Parsons Leadership Center for Girls and Women at Camp South Mountain
1611 E Dobbins Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85042

Event Highlights

Honoree Awards: Celebrate this year’s Champions for Children, leaders in our community who believe that every child matters as they challenge narratives and create opportunities for Arizona’s children and families

Live Performances: Each year, we feature a local youth performance that embodies the spirit of passion and joy that inspires our work

Lunch and Community Gathering: Enjoy a shared meal with the opportunity to connect with fellow advocates, policymakers, and supporters of children’s rights

Year in Review and Mission Spotlight:  Learn more about our policy wins and our tireless defense, coalition efforts, and community partnerships that defined CAA’s impact this year

Introducing the 2025 Champions for Children honorees

Honorable Mary Rose Wilcox, Lifetime Achievement Award 

Governor Stephen Roe Lewis, Jacque Steiner Public Leadership Award

The Vitalyst Health Foundation, Organizational Leader Award

Our 2025 Outstanding Leader Awardees

Ticket Options

  • Individual Ticket: $100
    Includes full luncheon program and lunch

  • Pair of Tickets: $150
    Full program and lunch with an extra ticket to bring a guest and experience the event together

  • AZ Guardian Donor Ticket: $250
    Includes one ticket, lunch, and recognition as a sustaining supporter of CAA’s mission. Donors at this level will be acknowledged as part of our AZ Guardian Donor Circle

Our Impact

CAA works as an independent voice to advocate for policy changes that protect the well-being of every child in Arizona. From defending Medicaid and SNAP to expanding access to early childhood education, our work creates lasting change for families.

Your support at the Champions for Children Luncheon helps fund:

  • Legislative advocacy for children’s health, safety, and education

  • Data-driven policy research and community-informed solutions

  • Public policy campaigns that inform, mobilize, and empower families

  • Coalition building across political, regional, and cultural lines

Together, we are prioritizing kids to create an Arizona where all children and families can thrive.

Get Involved

Whether you become a sponsor, purchase a ticket, or donate to our organization, your participation supports the work ahead. Sponsorship opportunities are available at multiple levels, offering visibility, impact, and meaningful engagement with our local and national partners.

To learn more about how you or your organization can get involved, please contact us at caa@azchildren.org

Be part of an afternoon that moves beyond celebration and prepares us to continue the work for real change for Arizona’s children and families.

Registration is now closed. 

Celebrating Arizona, Preparing for Its Future: Join Our Policy Briefing

Today, as we celebrate Arizona’s Statehood Day, we’re reminded of the decisions and policies that have shaped our communities over the past years—and the critical role we all play in shaping the path ahead. 

Please join Children's Action Alliance for a webinar briefing on state and federal policy. With proposals at both the state and federal level that can greatly affect Arizona’s families, communities, and economy, it is important to stay informed and engaged. 

Join us to learn the latest about state legislation and federal proposals impacting children and families, including AHCCCS/Medicaid, SNAP, and more. 

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM (MST)

Virtual Webinar

RSVP

Building the Future Together: Meet Our New Team Members!

We are thrilled to announce our newest team members: Jennifer J. Burns, Lori Goodspeed, and Nathan von Gnechten. 

Jennifer serves Children’s Action Alliance as our Director of Government Relations and Health Policy. Jennifer drives the health policy agenda and also provides leadership in our work with policymakers.

Lori joins Children’s Action Alliance as our new Youth and Family Advocacy Coordinator. In this role, Lori works to strengthen youth and family engagement, including kinship caregivers and youth who’ve experienced the foster care system.

Nathan serves as an Economic Policy Analyst at the Arizona Center for Economic Progress. In this role, Nathan provides research and analysis to advance budget and policy decisions that support the well-being of communities across Arizona.

We are excited to welcome these new team members to help carry out our mission to the children, families, and people of Arizona.

The 2025 Legislative Session

As we kick off 2025 and a new legislative session, it’s the perfect time to think about the kind of Arizona we all want – one where children and their families can keep a roof over their head, can stay well or get well through health insurance, have enough to eat, are safe, and have access to a strong education starting with affordable child care and early learning. What we know is the ability of families to meet these needs for children isn’t just essential to them, it’s essential to the future of Arizona. We can build that Arizona.

Today is opening day at the Arizona State Legislature as well as the State of the State address by Governor Hobbs. Many legislative bills are already filed, and both executive and legislative budget proposals will soon be unveiled. For 37 years, Children’s Action Alliance has been a staunch advocate and watchdog for children at the State Capitol. We enter 2025 with this same commitment. We will keep you informed of our policy priorities and of policy and budget proposals that hurt or help children and families. We hope your commitment is to make your voice heard alongside us.

Together, we can bring change that supports the safety and success of children in Arizona.

Click here to view a snapshot of our 2025 Legislative Agenda.

Our 2025 Legislative Priorities

Children’s Action Alliance (CAA) is committed to making Arizona a state where all children and families thrive.

Our 2025 Legislative Agenda focuses on:

  • Health Care: Protect access to AHCCCS and KidsCare and preventative health services
  • Child Care: Growing access to affordable, high-quality child care and early learning
  • Family Supports: Economic supports to prevent family crisis
  • Foster Care: Less children in congregate care and more support for youth transitioning out of foster care and for kinship caregivers who step in to provide care for children when they need it most

Click here to learn more about CAA's priorities to create an Arizona where all children and families thrive.

Families First Forum: Uniting for Arizona's Families

The Inaugural Families First Forum is in the books! Children’s Action Alliance and the Arizona Center for Economic Progress joined forces with Wildfire and the Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers to host the Families First Forum on November 14th at the Children’s Museum of Phoenix.

The forum brought together many amazing Arizona leaders from various policy and service delivery areas to learn about one another’s issues and priorities so we can champion solutions for children and families together. This is especially necessary as we prepare to defend essential services that make a difference for struggling Arizonans.

We were honored to have Bryan Samuels, the Executive Director of Chapin Hall, join us as our keynote speaker. Bryan shared data that makes it clear that keeping families out of economic crisis helps keep families out of the foster care system.

Throughout the day, we built on themes of data, lived experience, and listening to one another to learn how our work is connected, in part because we all share a commitment to serving the same Arizonans.

Thanks to all who attended the Families First Forum as we work towards stronger coalition work.

And thank you to the Arizona leaders who joined us as speakers:

  • Adriana Garcia Maximiliano, To the Max Strategies LLC
  • April Bradham, Arizona Food Bank Network
  • Athyna Rock, Northern Arizona Council of Governments Head Start
  • Chris Gilfillan, Living United for Change in Arizona
  • Claire Louge, Prevent Child Abuse Arizona
  • David Gonzalez, Southwest Human Development Head Start
  • David Higuera, Children’s Action Alliance Board of Directors
  • Dulce Quevedo, AZ Head Start Association Parent Advocacy
  • Geraldine Miranda, Arizona Center for Economic Progress
  • Jacob Holley, Fostering Advocates Arizona
  • January Contreras, Children’s Action Alliance
  • Jessica Yanow, Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers
  • Joseph Palomino, Arizona Center for Economic Progress
  • Kelly McGowan, Wildfire
  • Lisa Florian, United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona
  • Lupe Reynoso Jimenez, Aliento
  • Matt Jewett, Children’s Action Alliance
  • Mike Renaud, Valle Del Sol
  • Teniqua Broughton, The State of Black Arizona

Thanks also to our sponsors:

  • Latinas in Philanthropy and Service
  • Child Abuse Prevention Arizona

We have a lot of work to get done together and our partnerships matter more than ever. Our great thanks to everyone who made the forum happen. We will continue to build on this foundation to collectively drive a policy agenda that supports children and families in Arizona.

Thank You - Champions For Children 2024

We are so thankful to everyone who helped make the 2024 Champions for Children Luncheon a remarkable success. Whether you attended, sponsored, donated, or supported us, your contribution makes a difference!

To those who attended, thank you for your presence and dedication to supporting our work to strengthen Arizona for children and families.

Congratulations again to our 2024 Champions! We are honored to celebrate their commitment to service and the significant impact their leadership has had on the lives of Arizona children and families.

Our sincere gratitude to our incredible sponsors. Their support is foundational to this gathering and to our ability to carry out our mission.

And a special thanks to Los Mariachi Tigres de Tolleson for kicking off our event! These elementary school students represented Arizona at the White House earlier this year and we couldn’t be prouder of their dedication and talent. Thanks also to the amazing Linda Wiliams, longtime Arizona anchor, for bringing heart to the stage as emcee of our event.

As we close out our successful 2024 Champions for Children annual event, we are grateful and inspired for the future. If you were unable to join us, we hope to see you at our upcoming future events! Together, we can continue to create an Arizona where all children and families can thrive.