Category: Health

Announcing the 2025 Champions for Children Honorees

Each year, Children’s Action Alliance gathers the community to celebrate the amazing work happening for children and families in Arizona.

We are proud to introduce the 2025 Champions for Children extraordinary honorees:

Honorable Mary Rose Wilcox, Lifetime Achievement Award 

Governor Stephen Roe Lewis, Jacque Steiner Public Leadership Award

The Vitalyst Health Foundation, Organizational Leader Award

And we are proud to announce our 2025 Outstanding Leader Awardees:

On October 9, starting at 11:30 AM, we will honor their bold and unwavering leadership and advocacy for families and children in Arizona at the Champions for Children Luncheon.

We are thrilled to celebrate these exceptional individuals and share good food and company together as we celebrate wins, big and small, and strengthen our resolve and commitment to make Arizona’s children a priority.

Buy a ticket to join us to celebrate!

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National Kinship Care Month: Love and Strength

This September, in recognition of National Kinship Care Month, Children’s Action Alliance honors the more than 57,000 kinship caregivers in Arizona – grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, and extended family members who have stepped up to care for children when parents cannot.

Kinship caregivers are a stabilizing force in children’s lives. They help preserve family ties, cultural identity, and community connection. Yet, too often, these families take on full-time caregiving responsibilities with little to no preparation, support, or access to critical services.

The Caregivers' Message Is Clear: They Need Support.

At a January 2025 Kinship Caregiver Forum hosted by Children’s Action Alliance and Seeds Community Center in Tucson, families shared the realities they face of legal barriers, financial strain, and emotional trauma. Rural caregivers emphasized the urgent need for local access to mental health services, therapy, and specialists.

Too often, families are forced to choose between legal guardianship and accessing essential benefits. This creates unnecessary instability for families already doing everything they can.

Kinship Care Is a Solution That Can be Strengthened with Public Investment

Kinship care is proven to be one of the most stable, supportive, and effective options for children who cannot remain with their parents. We must ensure that caregivers are not penalized for doing the right thing. That means:

  • Expanding access to financial support so more families can meet the needs of and care for their grandchildren, siblings, or other relatives—without falling into financial hardship. Children’s Action Alliance will continue to advocate for the restoration of support for kinship caregivers who are also raising children outside of the DCS system.
  • Prioritizing trauma-informed, community-based mental health services in rural areas—so children and caregivers can access the support they need close to home.
  • Protecting essential benefits when families pursue legal permanency—so they can provide long-term stability without losing the support that makes caregiving possible.
  • Increasing public investment in kinship navigator programs—so families can easily connect to vital services like school enrollment, health care, and legal support.

Investing in Kinship Care Is Investing in Arizona’s Future

Kinship caregivers are raising the next generation of Arizonans. Their resilience should be met with meaningful support – legally, financially, and emotionally. The good news is that Arizona children are being placed with kinship caregivers at a much higher rate than the national rate.

Let’s ensure more kinship caregivers can survive and thrive when they take on the special duty of stepping in to care for children. This month, and every month, Children’s Action Alliance stands with kinship families.

2025 Legislative Scorecard

Children’s Action Alliance (CAA) strives to create an Arizona where all children and families thrive. In our work at the state Capitol and in communities throughout Arizona, CAA is an independent voice for Arizona children. We work with elected officials, community partners, people with lived experience, and coalitions to advance the early care and education, health, safety, and economic stability of our state’s children and families.  

CAA believes every lawmaker is responsible for voting for kids and that our legislators should be held accountable.  

This 2025 Legislative Scorecard tracks votes on key bills CAA identified as priorities for children and that shape the education, health, safety, and well-being of Arizona children and families. 

Please check out the 2025 Legislative Scorecard, learn how your elected representatives voted, and let them know that you know who’s for kids and who’s just kidding.

View 2025 Scorecard

60 Years of Medicaid: A Lifeline Worth Protecting

Today, Medicaid celebrates its 60th Anniversary. Medicaid started as a program to combat the “War on Poverty,” and six decades later, Medicaid has become the foundation of America’s health care system. In Arizona, Medicaid provides nearly two million Arizonans with life-saving health care, and provides health care for 41% of all children in Arizona.   

Although Arizona was the last state to implement a Medicaid program, Arizona transformed the health care system in 1982 by being the first state to create a publicly funded, privately operated managed care Medicaid program – the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS). AHCCCS is nationally recognized for providing high-quality, cost-effective health care throughout Arizona. This allows Arizonans who have health care through AHCCCS to use the same hospitals, see the same doctors, and have access to the same quality health care as Arizonans who are privately insured.  

Medicaid is one of the most popular programs in the nation, with 83% of the American public having a favorable view of Medicaid. This translates locally to our state as well when the people of Arizona showed their support for AHCCCS/Medicaid by voting overwhelmingly (58%) to expand Medicaid to cover more Arizonans. Repeatedly, bipartisan groups of legislators and governors have expanded Medicaid to include KidsCare (Children’s Health Insurance Program) and to extend eligibility to more adults and children. 

AHCCCS/Medicaid plays an especially important role in providing health coverage for people living in small towns and rural communities in Arizona, a trend that is particularly striking among children. AHCCCS and KidsCare cover 55% of children in small towns and rural areas of Arizona, while covering 34.9% in metro areas, according to an analysis by the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families (CCF). 

When more children and adults have access to health care, it’s good for them and for our state. However, much of this progress is at risk due to cuts of nearly $1 trillion to the Medicaid program by Congress, putting the health and economic well-being of individuals, families, and communities at risk. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that recent cuts by Congress will increase the number of uninsured people by 10 million over the next ten years.  

This puts rural hospitals and health centers at risk of reducing services or even closing. The Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association estimates “more than 55% of Arizona hospitals could operate in the red.” Reductions in services, financially strained hospitals and health care providers, and job losses will impact everyone in Arizona. AHCCCS/Medicaid is a lifeline to AHCCCS/Medicaid recipients, and has a crucial role in our health care system and economy.  

How can you help? The fight to protect this important program is not over. It is important that we continue to share our stories – at the federal and state level – about the devastating impact of recent federal cuts so AHCCCS/Medicaid can continue providing health care for another 60+ years. 

Share Your Story

Our State Budget Priorities

State law requires that Arizona pass a budget by June 30 of each year. As the clock ticks towards this deadline, Children’s Action Alliance continues to advocate for priorities that will help grow strong and healthy children in Arizona.

We’ve laid out our priorities for children and families, and we’re seeing some positive investments in the bipartisan budget that the Senate Appropriations Committee passed yesterday. This budget framework was negotiated between Governor Hobbs, Senate Republican legislators, and Senate and House Democratic legislators. 

Investing in Child Care/Early Care – Child care in Arizona remains too expensive for too many families. CAA has made the elimination of the child care assistance waitlist a priority, so that eligible families in Arizona can receive the help they need to afford child care. Our ask is $120 million to help children get off the waitlist. The budget proposal doesn’t provide the full amount, but it does include an allocation of $45 million from the General Fund to cut the waitlist in half. This investment dwarfs any state investment in child care in the last decade, and is a must-pass item.

Preventing Child Hunger through School Meals – As the costs of groceries continue to rise, school meals are an especially important anti-hunger tool for children. The budget proposal includes $3.8 million to ensure that copays are not an obstacle for eligible children to eat meals at school. This is good news for Arizona’s children.

Protecting Access to Health Care and Nutrition – Arizona’s Medicaid program, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), and our Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit Arizonans of all ages and benefit our state’s economy. This budget prevents cuts to these programs and recognizes that Arizona has already implemented safeguards in the eligibility process and avoids adding new red tape and costly administrative burdens. This budget preserves strong health and nutrition services, which is a smart policy for Arizona.  

Funding K-12 Schools – The vast majority of children in Arizona attend public K-12 schools, and our budget process should prioritize funding schools as required by the state Constitution. While Arizona still lags behind much of the nation in funding public schools for students, this budget proposal funds key provisions that are critical to quality schools, including poverty-weighted/opportunity funding for schools in communities with a high level of families with low incomes, and additional district assistance.

Supporting Youth Impacted by Foster Care and Kinship Caregivers – As youth transition to adulthood, supports that help them build economic stability are crucial, especially for youth who experienced foster care. This budget proposal solidifies $6.4 million in ongoing funding for young adults through Extended Foster Care services, promoting stable housing, career and educational advancement, and overall well-being. CAA also continues to seek greater support for kinship caregiver providers, including restoration of stipends for relative caregivers who are raising children outside of the foster care system.

Arizona’s state budget should be about making Arizona stronger for its children and families. These budget proposals are important steps in the right direction.

Take Action: Get Child Care Funding Across the Finish Line

Last year, Arizona failed to invest enough funding in the Child Care Assistance Program, and a waitlist was implemented for families seeking financial assistance to afford child care. Sadly, that waitlist has now reached over 5K children! Alleviating the child care waiting list is Children Action Alliance’s top priority. 

This year, Arizona’s state budget is still being negotiated. The Arizona House of Representatives passed a budget last week that was not negotiated with Governor Hobbs or the Senate. Their budget does not include any state investment in child care.

This week, there are reports that Governor Hobbs is negotiating a budget with legislators, including in the Arizona Senate, and we may see movement this week. In her executive proposal issued earlier this year, Governor Hobbs included $112 million to help alleviate the waiting list. Children’s Action Alliance and our partners are encouraging community members to use your voice to advocate for the full $112 million appropriation so more children and families can access child care.      

We need funding for child care in the final budget, because every step for child care counts.  

5K kids locked out of affordable child care is too many. We can’t run the risk of leaving our kids behind.  

Send an e-mail today to Governor Hobbs and your state legislators with the link below and tell them we need to get the child care appropriation across the finish line! 

Take Action

Bringing Awareness to Men’s Health and Mental Wellness This Father’s Day 

Father’s Day is more than just a time to celebrate the dads, grandfathers, and father figures in our lives—it’s also a timely reminder to spotlight men’s health and mental wellness. 

Approximately 29%1 of men have no primary care doctor, and men die at higher rates than women from heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, chronic lower respiratory disease, stroke, and diabetes. It's crucial for fathers to prioritize their physical health, as their well-being directly impacts their children's development and the overall health and well-being of the family. 

Fatherhood is an important role, and when mothers have their partners involved in their pregnancy, postpartum care, and overall health from the start, they tend to experience more positive outcomes. This involvement can lead to better birth results and increased overall participation from the father throughout the family's journey. Participation by fathers early on in maternal and child health also starts a conversation about their health, including the importance of having a primary care doctor and engaging in preventive services.  

June is also Men's Mental Health Awareness Month, and it serves as a reminder that mental health is important for everyone, and to raise awareness about the unique challenges men face when it comes to mental health2. Mental health is just as crucial as physical health. Men are often conditioned to stay silent about their struggles and are less likely than women to seek help for mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, or even routine health check-ups. This contributes to higher rates of undiagnosed illnesses and preventable deaths.  

Fathers carry immense responsibilities, and the pressure can be overwhelming. Being open to conversations around mental well-being helps break the stigma and builds a healthier, more supportive family unit.  

Outside of their own mental and physical health, research confirms the significant impact that dads have on a child’s life. Involved fathers improve their children’s overall physical, emotional, and social well-being. Healthy fathers serve as role models for their children, demonstrating healthy behaviors and values that positively influence their children's development. This can influence a child's own health choices, including their physical activity and healthy eating habits.3  

A father's health is intertwined with the health of the entire family. However, when there are discussions on maternal and child health, the father’s role and the significance of paternal impact are often overlooked. When fathers prioritize their health, they are more likely to engage in behaviors that benefit the family as a whole.  

This Father’s Day, as we celebrate dads, let us also commit to celebrating their health and wellness. Whether it's scheduling that overdue doctor’s appointment, reaching out to talk with a friend, or taking time to rest, it is essential to prioritize men’s mental and physical health, reinvigorating what it means to be a strong role model for their child.   

Please see the below citations and resources on men’s health and mental health supports: 

1 National Healthy Start Association Fatherhood Fact Sheet 

2 National Alliance for Mental Illness- Men’s Health Month 

3 American Heart Association- Hey dads: You play a big and important role in your kids’ health 

2025 Kids Count Data Book Released

Arizona has the second-highest rate of uninsured children in the nation, according to the 2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book, a 50-state report of recent data developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation analyzing how kids are faring in America.

This year, Arizona ranked 42nd overall in child well-being, the same ranking as in the 2024 Data Book.

Data Book findings for the State of Arizona include:

  • 9% of children in Arizona are uninsured, a rate that is only worse in one other state, Texas
  • The percentage of children in poverty decreased slightly from 2024 to 15%; however, over the past decade, this rate has dropped significantly from 26% in 2013
  • The percentage of children who live in households burdened by the high cost of housing remains stubbornly at 29% when compared to the previous year.
  • 390,390 children in Arizona received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to prevent hunger in 2024
  • Four-year graduation rates increased from 76.6% the previous year to 77.5%
  • 36% of children live in single-parent families, families that find it especially difficult to stretch their budgets to afford daily essential expenses

Children’s Action Alliance encourages lawmakers and officials at the state and federal levels to use this detailed information to unite across party lines and respond with initiatives that invest in young people in Arizona.

Children’s Action Alliance urges state and federal leaders to:

  • Protect Medicaid, known as the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) in Arizona and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) program, KidsCare, while also ensuring children and families do not face new red tape that will cause eligible families to lose their health care coverage
  • Increase affordable housing for children and families. Three in 10 households with children continue to be housing burdened, spending more than 30% of their income on housing, leaving little for essential items such as groceries, child care, and transportation.
  • Ensure access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), school meals, and child care assistance for children in struggling families.
  • Fully fund K-12 public schools

These policies are urgently needed today in state and federal policymaking and in crafting state and federal budgets. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget that robs children of access to health care, food assistance, and more. Children’s Action Alliance is counting on the U.S. Senate to oppose the federal bill and instead bring change that will help children have access to the basic building blocks they need be to be safe and healthy, and to reach their full potential.

Each year, the Data Book presents national and state data from 16 indicators in four domains — economic well-being, education, health, and family and community factors — and ranks the states according to how children are faring overall. In its 36th year of publication, the KIDS COUNT® Data Book provides reliable statewide numbers to help leaders see where progress is being made, where greater support is needed and which strategies are making a difference. Data for all topics can be found at the KIDS COUNT® Data Center.

2025 KIDS COUNT Databook

What Moms Deserve: Policies That Support Arizona Families

As we celebrate Mother's Day and National Women's Health Week (May 11–17), it's essential to recognize the needs of many mothers in Arizona. Beyond flowers and cards, mothers require robust policies that support their health, economic stability, and mental well-being. While Arizona has made strides in some areas, significant gaps remain that demand attention, and new threats to these programs have emerged.

Access to Affordable Healthcare

Access to affordable, continuous healthcare is essential for maternal health. Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) is Arizona’s Medicaid agency, and AHCCCS/Medicaid is the foundation for Arizona’s health care system and a lifeline for thousands of families. AHCCCS currently covers about 50% of all births in the state, making it a critical support system for our entire state.

Recognizing the importance of ongoing care, Arizona extended postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months in April 2023. This expansion ensures new mothers can access care during the critical first year after childbirth, when serious physical complications and mental health challenges emerge. With health care coverage, moms can receive essential services like follow-up medical visits, counseling, lactation support, and treatment for conditions such as postpartum depression or hypertension.

Federally proposed cuts to Medicaid/AHCCCS put these services at risk for all mothers, especially in rural communities, as proposed cuts may force rural hospitals to stop providing labor and delivery services or to close. Proposed federal cuts to Medicaid threaten the foundation of Arizona’s maternal health system. These cuts could lead to significant reductions in Medicaid funding for hospitals and providers and an increase in uncompensated care, putting more pressure on the already fragile network of maternity care in rural and underserved areas. When hospitals lose Medicaid funding, entire communities risk losing access to safe, timely maternal health services.

Protecting and strengthening Medicaid isn’t just a policy choice; it’s a commitment to the health and safety of mothers and babies across Arizona.

Access to Paid Maternity Leave

Paid maternity leave is beneficial for moms as it provides them with the time and financial stability needed to recover from childbirth, bond with their baby, and address potential postpartum health issues like depression. It also promotes breastfeeding and allows mothers to focus on their baby's well-being without the added stress of financial insecurity. The United States remains behind with Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga as the only seven countries in the world that lack a national paid leave program. Under the federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), 51% of workers in Arizona have access to unpaid leave. Only employees in large companies, with a year of employment and full-time or salaried positions, have access to unpaid leave under FMLA. 

However, unpaid leave is not an option for many soon-to-be mothers. Research shows that the typical full-time Arizonan worker loses about $917 in income for every week of unpaid leave, which is why 62 % of Arizonans who are eligible for unpaid leave do not take it. This is especially true for 65 % of women reporting they cannot afford unpaid leave, compared to 59 % of men in Arizona. Since the United States does not have a national paid leave program, Arizonans must rely on their employer for paid leave, but there are gaps in access to paid leave between women and men. In a 2022 survey, 32% of women reported access to paid medical leave, compared to 44% of men in Arizona.

Paying maternity leave has many benefits that help women and their children. These benefits include:

  • Physical and mental health recovery, such as recovery from childbirth, reduced postpartum depression, and improved overall maternal health;
  • Bonding and child care as paid leave provides mothers with dedicated time to bond with their newborn baby, which is crucial for developing a strong parent-child relationship and helps with infant brain development and overall positive health outcomes for the baby; and
  • Financial stability and well-being, as paid leave provides a financial safety net and reduces stress for mothers.

With such a strong evidence base for paid maternity leave, Arizona must promote solutions that matter to mothers.

Access to Affordable Child Care

Access to affordable, high-quality child care is one of the biggest challenges facing working moms in Arizona and one of the reasons women leave or struggle to rejoin the workforce. The average annual cost of infant care is $15,625, which is $1,302 per month. For a single parent earning the median income of $38,757, child care costs more than 40% of their yearly income. For many families, these costs are simply out of reach. As a result, mothers, particularly single mothers, are often forced to scale back hours, decline job opportunities, or leave the workforce entirely.

When moms cannot access child care, their career and earning potential suffers. Studies show that consistent access to affordable child care can boost a mother’s lifetime earnings by as much as $79,000. However, too many families never get the child care assistance they need, either because they do not qualify, are placed on a waiting list for child care assistance, or their preferred child care provider in their community does not accept public assistance.

The impact goes beyond individual households. Arizona’s economy loses an estimated $4.7 billion each year due to child care-related disruptions, including lost productivity, employee turnover, and missed workdays. Businesses also suffer as working parents struggle to balance jobs with caregiving responsibilities.

Investing in affordable, accessible child care isn’t just good for moms—it’s essential for building a stronger, more resilient workforce and economy.

Arizona Moms Deserve More

Moms in Arizona deserve more than recognition—they deserve real policy solutions that meet their everyday needs. From protecting access to Medicaid to maternal health supports, allowing time for mothers to recover and bond after childbirth, and creating opportunities for affordable child care, investing in the well-being of Arizona mothers is investing in the future of our communities. This Mother’s Day and Women’s Health Week, let’s commit to building a state where all moms have the opportunity to thrive.