Category: Legislation

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.

Arizona’s Group Home Problem – An Opportunity Missed

Click here to watch Fostering Advocates Arizona board member, Jacob Holley, share his lived experience in group homes.

Arizona has a deep group home problem, and it is time that serious steps are taken to address it: the Department of Child Safety's (DCS's) massive over-reliance on harmful and costly group home placements. Our legislative session ended without solutions.

In Arizona, the Department of Child Safety (DCS) has an excessive reliance on group home placements, which can be harmful and expensive. The state has the nation’s third highest rate of “congregate care” placements for foster children of all ages and places more young foster children, those under age 12, in congregate care than any other state. Congregate care includes group homes, shelters, and institutions. Experts agree that congregate care placements are harmful to the healthy development of children—especially young children—and that congregate care should only be used when there is no less restrictive setting to meet a child’s short-term need for therapeutic services.

The understanding of the harms of group care is so universal that Congress passed the Families First Family Prevention Services Act, which greatly reduces the availability of federal funds for congregate care placements. Under the Act, which went into effect in 2021, states are only reimbursed for congregate care placements for the first 14 days unless the placement is a designated Qualified Residential Treatment Program that a court has determined the child requires to meet a short-term therapeutic need. The same year that Families First went into effect, DCS settled a lawsuit that, among other things, called out Arizona’s overuse of congregate care. The settlement agreement in B.K. v. Faust, which is overseen by the court, requires DCS to take steps to reduce its use of congregate care to 10.5%, the national average, when the settlement was reached in 2021.

Despite these two powerful incentives to reduce group care, Arizona’s rate of congregate care placements has not budged. In fact, it has gone up and with the loss of federal reimbursement dollars, the high cost of group care is straining the state’s general fund and the agency’s budget to the tune of a $22.6M shortfall, leaving few financial resources to support families and prevent the need for foster care in the first place.

For years, DCS’s plan to reduce the use of congregate care has centered around increasing the number of foster children placed with relatives and, to a lesser extent, also increasing the number of community foster homes. A “kin-first” culture is hugely important to supporting children and to reducing the use of congregate care, and, with advocacy by Children’s Action Alliance and many others, big advancements have been made in Arizona to better support kinship caregivers. However, Arizona now places children with relatives at one of the highest rates in the nation, and that strategy on its own has not and is unlikely to stem the use of group placements.

Additional strategies to reduce group care are available and used with success by other jurisdictions. One of those strategies is instituting DCS Director Approval for group placements. SB 1458, a CAA priority bill in partnership with Fostering Advocates Arizona, would have required DCS to get Director sign-off on the placement of any child under the age of 12 in a congregate care setting. (Remember, Arizona is an outlier, placing young children in congregate care at a rate of 11% while the national average is 3%.) Director approval, which helped the City of Philadelphia go from 1,000 children in group homes to just 255, is a strategy included in the Ending the Need for Group Placements Initiative led by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Casey Family Programs. The initiative has identified seven levers that have helped states reduce the use of congregate care. DCS is currently pulling just two of those levers. SB 1458 would have added a third, but the bill died on the House Floor in the face of opposition from the agency.

It is time for Arizona to get serious about reducing group care. Doubling down on strategies that on their own have done nothing to reduce Arizona’s use of congregate care is certainly not enough for nearly 1,300 foster children currently in these placements, including approximately 350 children under the age of 12. DCS should be partnering with experts and jurisdictions that have successfully reduced congregate care populations and should be pulling every lever available. Arizona’s foster children deserve nothing less.

Just six years ago, our country grieved alongside parents and children who were forcibly separated at the border, with a full two-thirds of Americans across political parties opposed to the barbaric actions. HCR2060 opens the door to repeating this shameful chapter.” -January Contreras, Children’s Action Alliance.

Children’s Action Alliance puts brain and heart power to work every day to realize the vision of an Arizona where all children and families thrive. HCR2060, an immigration bill expected to be heard this week in the Arizona Legislature, is incompatible with this vision.

Our CEO, January Contreras, recently shared some of the reasons that HCR2060 is bad for Arizona’s children. We share this editorial with you as supporters who also value the potential of every child in our state. Children’s Action Alliance remains in opposition to HCR2060, and we urge members of the legislature to vote against it.

Guest Opinion as Printed in the Arizona Daily Star on May 17, 2024

HCR2060 is not the answer

While many look to the Arizona State Legislature to tackle state priorities such as transportation, public safety, affordable housing, and education, members are also currently working to take on the federal responsibility of immigration enforcement in ways that are likely unlawful, certainly unfunded, and deeply harmful for our state.

House Concurrent Resolution 2060 (HCR2060) is a resolution that attempts to create state law and deploy local authorities for immigration enforcement. Parts of the resolution duplicate what is already in law when it comes to public benefits, but it charts new territory in criminal enforcement of unlawful presence without safeguards that exist in federal immigration policy such as barring enforcement on school campuses and in churches. HCR2060 can still be defeated by the legislature, but if passed, it will open the door to chaos that makes Arizona less safe than today.

I speak as a former prosecutor and former attorney for victims of crime. Without question, it is my experience that victims of abuse, human trafficking, and other crimes will not call local law enforcement for help when they fear that call will lead to deportation. This is backed up by cities that saw declines in reports of domestic violence and sexual assault crimes in Latino communities when anti-immigrant rhetoric and targeting was at its most extreme. The crimes were happening, victims were just too afraid to call 9-1-1. HCR2060 will decrease public safety and allow perpetrators of violence to escape being held accountable for their crimes.

I speak as a former Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Just six years ago, our country grieved alongside parents and children who were forcibly separated at the border, with a full two-thirds of Americans across political parties opposed to the barbaric actions. Today, my former HHS colleagues still serve on a Reunification Task Force dedicated to leaving no stone unturned to reunite families. The “zero tolerance” policy that unleashed this trauma continues to claim more than 1,000 children who have been deprived of the parents they were separated from. HCR2060 opens the door to repeating this shameful chapter.

Most importantly, I write this as a mother and an advocate for children. As I sat in church this week sharing in a blessing for moms, I could not help but pray for the parents and children whose lives will be torn apart if elected officials once again sanction actions that terrorize immigrant families. HCR2060 will do just that.

We must look to the right authorities for solutions to problems. Here, federal officials must reform and enforce federal immigration laws in ways that do not leave humanity and public safety behind. HCR2060 is not the answer.

January Contreras is the CEO of Children’s Action Alliance, advocating statewide for the health, safety, education, and economic well-being of children in Arizona.

Click here to access the opinion piece at the Arizona Daily Star.

Nearly 103,000 Arizona kids lost AHCCCS, but KidsCare expansion brings hope.

Since the end of the public health emergency a year ago, 103,000 fewer Arizona children are enrolled in AHCCCS coverage with the return to regular renewal requirements, according to a new report from Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. AHCCCS and its companion KidsCare provide child-specific health insurance for nearly 900,000 children, including routine preventive care, developmental screenings and treatment, vaccinations, behavioral health, and vision and dental services.

While some of these children may have gained other coverage, through a parent’s employer or the Health Insurance Marketplace, more Arizona children likely have become uninsured in the past year.

But there is good news. On April 1, the income limit for KidsCare increased by nearly $10,000 a year for a family of four, meaning 10,000 additional Arizona children will become eligible. Also, at the beginning of this year, new federal requirements took effect providing 12 full months of continuous coverage for children in AHCCCS and KidsCare, meaning fewer administrative requirements for families to maintain their healthcare coverage.

Children’s Action Alliance continues working with our community partners and AHCCCS to increase children’s access to coverage. If you or someone you know needs health insurance, visit Cover AZ’s website to find a local community-based organization to help.

Click here for the full report.

SB 1458: Because Children Thrive in Families, Not Institutions

Arizona places young foster children in group homes and institutions at a higher rate than any other state in the nation. We must change that - and we can with SB1458.

Congregate care placements have detrimental effects on the healthy development of children, especially young children. Experts agree that children do best with families and that congregate care (group homes, shelters, and other institutional settings) should only be used when there is no less restrictive setting that can meet a child’s short-term need for therapeutic services.

Senate Bill 1458, sponsored by Senator Bennett, is a collaboration between Fostering Advocates Arizona, a group of young people with lived experience in foster care, and Children’s Action Alliance.

The bill, which passed the Senate with strong bipartisan support, will now be considered by the House of Representatives. The legislation aims to reduce the placement of young foster children in congregate care settings by requiring the Department of Child Safety Director's Approval before such a placement can be made for a young child.

At close to 11%, Arizona’s rate of congregate care placement of children under age 12 is the highest in the nation and much higher than the national average of 3%. ¹ Arizona children deserve better.

Requiring Director Approval is a nationally recognized best practice included in Ending the Need for Group Placements, a collective effort of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Casey Family Programs, and community partners nationwide that identified actions to reduce the use of congregate care.

Our first priority at CAA is to support families so they can safely thrive together. When that isn’t possible, and a child must enter the child welfare system, it is imperative that each and every placement of a child attempts to reduce trauma and strengthen safety. SB1458 is an important step in doing better for Arizona kids.

Watch this short video to hear how the City of Philadelphia’s Congregate Care Approval process helped reduce its congregate care population from nearly 1,000 to just 255.

Learn more about the campaign to End the Need for Group Care and check out the full video.

¹ https://cwoutcomes.acf.hhs.gov/cwodatasite/sevenOne/index

Oral Health Day at the Capitol 2024

This month, CAA joined the Arizona Oral Health Coalition at the Capitol with the message to lawmakers that children and families cannot be healthy without good oral health. We asked legislators to prioritize comprehensive dental care for adults in AHCCCS in the budget they will be negotiating with the Governor.

Our Representatives and Senators were supportive, but our bill SB1037 has not been heard in the House Health and Human Services Committee, and this week is the last week for bills to be heard in the opposite chamber from where they were introduced. Thanks to all who came and got to see their legislature in action. Thanks also to our Representatives and Senators for learning about oral health. We will keep making our voices heard.

ICYMI: 10,000 MORE Children are KidsCare Eligible!

ICYMI: KidsCare, Arizona's Children's Health Insurance Program, is expanding eligibility. By increasing family income limits that qualify for KidsCare, more children can access affordable health care. The expansion was originally approved by the Governor and state legislature with bipartisan support in last year’s state budget. Governor Hobbs announced last week that the federal government approved the expansion to make 10,000 more children eligible for KidsCare starting March 1. Children’s Action Alliance CEO, January Contreras, joined the Governor and AHCCCS Director Carmen Heredia to share remarks celebrating the important news.

We know children with health insurance are better able to get the care they need to grow up healthy, do well in school, and thrive in life. Thousands of families throughout the state will benefit.

Arizona still ranks in the bottom four states for uninsured children. Yet, we’re moving in the right direction. The rate of Arizona children without health insurance has fallen by half since 2008, from 16% to 8%. This KidsCare expansion will keep moving us forward.

Now, a family with four children and a monthly income of up to $5,850 is eligible for KidsCare. If you think you are eligible or work with families who may be eligible, take action to help children gain the health coverage they need.

To learn more and schedule an enrollment appointment, please visit www.coveraz.org/connector.

The Bills That Got Away

Every year, Arizona Legislators introduce hundreds of bills, and very few of them go through the entire process to end on the Governor’s Desk for a signature. And each year, many bills never get a hearing at all. There are many good proposals to help children and families in Arizona thrive that deserve recognition and merit consideration for future legislative action. Here are some of CAA's top picks.

HB 2071, Sponsor: Laura Terech, Schools; corporal punishment; prohibition

Hard to imagine but despite overwhelming evidence that it is harmful, Arizona law still allows corporal punishment in public and charter schools. This bill would have prohibited teachers, principals, and other school employees from using corporal punishment as a form of discipline.

HB 2137, Sponsor: Athena Salman, Children's health insurance program; eligibility

This bill would expand eligibility for KidsCare, the state's children’s health insurance program (CHIP), to families earning under 250% of the federal poverty level (currently 200%). These families are working but not earning enough to afford employer-based or marketplace health insurance coverage. This would not only decrease the number of uninsured children in Arizona, but it would save the state the money spent on uncompensated care when emergencies occur or when preventative care is avoided.

HB 2160, Sponsor: Judy Schwiebert, School mental health professionals; academy

We know the COVID pandemic amplified an existing mental health crisis across the country, and it has been very prevalent in school-aged children and adolescents. Arizona is already facing a shortage of school personnel such as teachers, bus drivers, and aides. This bill would have created a School Mental Health Professional Academy to incentivize and train school psychologists, social workers, and counselors, who are often the first line of defense when school-age children are struggling.

HB 2246, Sponsor: Oscar De Los Santos, AHCCCS; eligibility; immigration status

Currently, a person’s immigration status might prevent them from qualifying for Medicaid health care insurance benefits, even if they meet all of the other criteria. This bill would have removed this barrier reducing Arizona’s uninsured rate and the costs associated with uncompensated emergency and preventative care.

HB 2365, Sponsor: Leezah Sun, Foster children; adulthood; stipend

When children age out of the foster care system, the transition to adulthood can be difficult. Unless they enter extended foster care, they lose most of the resources and supports provided to them and are expected to care for themselves. In an attempt to help ease that transition, this bill would have provided all children who are in the care of the Department of Child Safety when they turn eighteen, a monthly stipend of $1200/month until they reach the age of twenty-one.

HB 2407, Sponsor: Laura Terech, Preschool pilot program; appropriation

Children who attend high-quality preschool programs are more likely to enter kindergarten ready to learn and succeed. Unfortunately, many families most in need are unable to find or afford to place their children in these programs. This bill would have established a school district-based Preschool Pilot Program and set aside $3M in funding to pay for it.

HB 2685, Sponsor: Alma Hernandez, Appropriation; Child Care Assistance

For families to be self-sufficient, they need safe, reliable, and quality places for their children to go while they are working. One year of infant care can often cost as much as a year’s tuition to a state university, leaving families to choose between earning more or staying out of the workforce to care for their children. This bill would have appropriated $30M to the Department of Economic Security to help low-income working families afford child care in home, center, or faith-based settings.

SB 1267, Sponsor: Christine Marsh, Eligibility; children's health insurance program

Similar to HB 2137, this bill would have increased eligibility for the children’s health insurance program to 300% of the federal poverty level. Again, reducing the number of uninsured children and reducing the costs associated with uncompensated care.

SB 1643, Sponsor: Sally Ann Gonzales, Indian child welfare; custody proceedings

This bill would have codified the protections of federal The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) in state law. ICWA was passed in 1978 to combat the systematic separation of Native American children from their parents, families, and tribal communities following a long history of forcibly removing Native American children from their homes and sending them to boarding schools and non-Native adoptive families. The purpose of ICWA is to “protect the best interests of Indian children and to promote the stability and security of Indian tribes and families” (25 U.S.C. § 1902). ICWA requires child welfare agencies to go to greater lengths to preserve families before Native American children can be separated from their parents, provides a preference for the placement of Native American foster children with relatives and tribal members, and allows tribal courts to take jurisdiction over foster care cases from state courts.  With a Supreme Court challenge to ICWA pending, a number of states have passed laws to preserve these important protections for Native American children, families, and tribes.  

News you can use: CAA Priority Bills

Arizona’s state legislative session is in full swing. So far this session 1625 Bills, Memorials and Resolutions have been introduced for consideration. Each year, Children’s Action Alliance selects bills a dozen or so bills that we give our top priority. They are introduced by both Republicans and Democrats and from all parts of the state. Some are bills we support, others we oppose. They cover a range of topics that impact children from birth until they reach adulthood. Our priorities are chosen based on several factors including (but not limited to) whether they align to our previously published Legislative Agenda, what we believe might actually gain traction, the potential outcome or impact and most importantly- what the community and the evidence tell us is best for children. These are by no means the only proposals we are working on. We just think they reflect an overall snapshot of what we think will help us reach our goal of an Arizona where all children and families thrive. At the end of the session, we will score lawmakers on whether their priorities aligned to ours.

Check out our bill tracking here.