Governor Ducey’s proposed budget - The good, the bad and more tax cuts
Last spring when the COVID pandemic began, the legislature passed a basic “skinny budget” so they could rapidly end the legislative session and return home. At that time, with large portions of the economy shutting down and thousands of Arizonans losing their jobs, state budget experts were predicting…
Latest stimulus bill provides much-needed COVID relief for transition aged foster youth
Thanks to the advocacy of thousands of young leaders throughout the nation, including Fostering Advocates Arizona, the latest federal stimulus package, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, contains much-needed COVID relief for young people transitioning from foster care. Key provisions in the package include:…
State of the State
This week, the Arizona legislature begins its work for the year at a time when many Arizona children and families are struggling to meet their basic needs during this health and economic crisis. Recently released data by the U.S. Census Bureau shows 1 in 6 Arizona households with children (16%) said…
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…