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Celebrating Karen McLaughlin's Dedication to Arizona's Well-being!

We are grateful to Karen McLaughlin as she retires after dedicating her career to public service and the well-being of Arizonans. Karen began her career at Children’s Action Alliance (CAA) working on state budget and fiscal issues in July 2005 after having worked for the state of Arizona for 31 years. She worked for several state agencies including the Governor’s Office for Strategic Planning and Budgeting, Department of Health Services, Department of Revenue, and Arizona State University. Prior to retirement from State service, she was the Financial Services Administrator at the Department of Economic Security, overseeing the agency’s budget and fiscal work.

Karen was one of the original staff in the Arizona Center for Economic Progress when it was created in 2016. She helped create what is now Budget 101, an explanation of how Arizona state government is funded, how the funds are spent, and the implications of tax policy on everyday Arizonans. We invite you to share her Budget 101 with concerned citizens in her honor.

We will have a formal send-off for Karen coming up, but on her last official day we give her our great thanks for all that she has contributed to the people and State of Arizona.

Most Sincerely,

January Contreras

CEO and President

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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…

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AHCCCS and KidsCare are Essential in Rural Arizona

Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), Arizona’s Medicaid program, and KidsCare, Arizona’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), are key to the health of children and families. A  new report from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families  makes this clear,…

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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 […]