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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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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…

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Looking to Arizona's Next State Budget

On January 13, 2025, a new Arizona legislature will be sworn in and begin forming the 2026 state budget. Today’s budget outlook is significantly different from what legislators faced last January. Then, the state faced an $835 million deficit for the budget year that was already halfway over, with…

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Policy Solutions Can and Should Prevent Hunger and Homelessness Among Children and Youth

Every year, National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is recognized intentionally right before Thanksgiving as an opportunity to bring attention to those who do not have a place to call home or know when their next meal will be. At Children’s Action Alliance (CAA), bringing awareness to the impact…