Foster Youth Need Stimulus Payments Too
“It’s not controversial. Give young people the cash and trust them to make the decisions they need to make for their lives and their priorities. That’s my message,” said Aysha Schomburg, the Biden Administration’s top child welfare official during a town hall hosted by the national nonprofit…
Federal Funding could help looming workforce shortage crisis in child care
In mid-March, Congress passed the American Recovery Act (ARA). The legislation was the latest in a string of COVID relief bills intended to assist families, businesses, and communities through the pandemic. The Act set aside $39 billion to help the child care system which has struggled to remain afloat…
Announcing David Lujan, President and CEO
On behalf of the board of directors, I am pleased to announce David Lujan as President and CEO of Children’s Action Alliance. Since January, David has led CAA through the development of a new three-year strategic plan, and a theory of change that focuses on equity as the foundation on which CAA will…
State lawmakers should expand KidsCare eligibility ASAP
A year into a pandemic that has claimed the lives of more than 16,000 Arizonans, the state legislature has repeatedly declined the opportunity to provide low-cost, comprehensive health coverage to tens of thousands of children. CAA’s new fact sheet explores why this measure is so important – and…
American Rescue Plan is a major victory for Arizona children and families
The American Rescue Plan passed by Congress and signed by President Biden this week is a major victory for Arizona children and families. According to data released by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the expansion of the child tax credit alone will lift 112,000 Arizona children above the…
Pandemic reveals need for direct financial support of former foster youth
Last week, Arizona’s Department of Child Safety was awarded nearly $10.5M in federal funding to provide much needed and long-awaited pandemic relief to older and former foster youth up to age 27. These supplemental funds were provided by the Supporting Foster Youth and Families Through the…
Essential workers making poverty wages
While the state of Arizona is making strides toward increasing teacher pay, one group has been noticeably left behind, early childhood educators. A new report out by the Berkeley Center for the Study of Child Care Employment highlights that early childhood educators in Arizona are still lagging far…
Good ideas that didn't fit the bill
The Arizona legislature set a deadline that any bills that did not receive an initial committee hearing by the end of last week cannot advance this session. Committee chairs wield a lot of power in deciding which bills receive consideration or not and with 1,823 bills introduced this session, we understand…
Healthcare.gov will re-open for a special enrollment period
The Biden administration has announced that it will reopen the federal ACA Marketplace for a special enrollment period in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. From February 15 to May 15, Arizonans will be able to shop for affordable, comprehensive health insurance coverage at healthcare.gov. The…