News

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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Events

Champions for Children Annual Event

Thursday, October 31, 2024 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM Arizona Heritage Center 1300 N College Ave, Tempe, AZ 85288   Join child advocates and supporters at CAA’s annual event to honor champions who work tirelessly to build an Arizona where all children and families thrive. We will recognize unsung...

Events

ICYM: Elevate Her Event

As we closed out June, the Arizona Center for Economic Progress and Children’s Action Alliance gathered with leaders from a broad spectrum of backgrounds to host a data filled forum on the impact that lack of child care and paid family medical leave have on women, their families, and the economy. Why…

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...