Brighter days ahead
With the kind of year 2020 has been, the Children’s Action Alliance team and I want to focus on brighter days ahead. Our thoughts continue to be with everyone who has been impacted by the COVID pandemic and economic downturn; especially families who are struggling to meet their basic housing, food,…
It’s time for Arizona to step up for kin, during the pandemic and beyond
Kinship families are the backbone of Arizona’s child welfare system and kinship families are struggling. These two statements have never been truer than they are today in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. Each year in Arizona, thousands of relatives provide loving homes for children in foster care,…
Arizona's drop in K-12 enrollment could mean lost funding for public schools
Arizona Department of Education reported 50,000 fewer students attending public schools than last year. This number far exceeds the number of families who have formally opted for homeschooling for 2020-2021. The unfortunate reality is that many children may not be in school at all during the pandemic….
Urging lawmakers for safety at and access to the state Capitol in 2021
As we find ourselves barreling toward 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to infect individuals, claim lives, and devastate communities. Despite this, our state’s leaders have yet to take meaningful steps to curb the spread of the virus – let alone to ensure safety and transparency...
Economic Stress: COVID-19’s real threat to child safety and well-being
With stay-at-home orders in place and schools largely shuttered since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many in the child welfare community are concerned about undetected child maltreatment due to a lack of mandated reporter eyes on children. Many are also bracing for a surge in reports to the…
National survey shows overwhelming support for investment in high-quality early childhood education
Recent national surveys have shown, in contrast to many other issues for which voters are divided, support remains overwhelming for state investment in high-quality early childhood education. Seventy-six percent of likely Arizona voters said they support the state investing in high-quality, early…
Today’s the day – ACA repeal oral arguments before SCOTUS
Oral arguments in the case challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), now named California v. Texas, are being heard today at the US Supreme Court. If part or all of the ACA is overturned, the only way to save the law, and all the protections for Americans that come with it,…
Today is the last day to vote, Election Day
Thank you, Arizonans, for casting a record number of ballots before Election Day! If you have not done so, you still have a chance to make your voice heard in this election. Today is the time to get out to vote. Key races that directly impact children, such as for school board and legislative seats,…
The impact of COVID-19 on youth aging out of foster care
Fostering Advocates Arizona (FAAZ), a group of young leaders with lived experience in the child welfare system, conducted two surveys during the pandemic: one of foster and former foster youth ages 14 to 26 and one of adult providers and allies. Some of the results: Over 1/3 of young people reported that…