Arizona Ranks 39th In Child Well-Being But Inaccessible, Unaffordable, Child Care Pushes Parents To The Breaking Point.
Arizona ranks 39th in child well-being, according to the 2023 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, a 50-state report of recent household data developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation analyzing how children and families are faring. However, our country’s lack of affordable and accessible child care short-changes…
Governor Hobbs Signs Bill Eliminating Administrative Fees in Juvenile Court
Persistence pays off! On May 26th, after 3 years of advocacy, Governor Hobbs eliminated the burdensome administrative fees routinely levied on children involved in the juvenile court system when she signed SB 1197 into law. No longer will youth and their families be charged administrative fees for…
Fostering Youth Transitions Report Released During National Foster Care Month
Permanent families and supportive adult connections, stable housing and postsecondary education remain beyond reach for too many young people with foster care experience, according to Fostering Youth Transitions 2023: State and National Data to Drive Foster Care Advocacy, a data brief released by the…
State budget has small key wins for AZ children & families, BUT more needs to be done
Children’s Action Alliance’s annual legislative agenda is designed to assure the necessary community conditions exist so all Arizona families have equitable access to high-quality education, health care, child well-being, services, and economic opportunities. Our agenda is advanced through...
Arizona's Voters Deserve a Say in the State's Budget
The voices of voters are once again being silenced. After several moves that are undemocratic, lacking in transparency and clearly an attempt to rush through billions of dollars of taxpayer money with almost zero input from the public, the final floor vote is set for tomorrow morning. At 5pm…
CAA applauds Governor Hobbs' action to increase access to high-quality child care in Arizona.
Children’s Action Alliance applauds Governor Hobbs’ move to take key actions to increase access to high-quality child care in Arizona. Child care is an essential service. Hard-working families need a safe, reliable, and affordable place for their children to go while they are working. But...
Arizona poised to end seizure of benefits owed to foster children
Arizona is one of a growing number of states considering proposals to prohibit child welfare agencies from seizing foster children’s federal benefits. Nationwide and in Arizona, roughly 5% of all children and youth in foster care qualify for Social Security Administration disability and survivor benefits….
New Hires
Welcome our newest hires to Children’s Action Alliance and the Arizona Center for Economic Progress. Sarah Bentley is the Communications Engagement Coordinator for both CAA and the AZCenter. She leads both state and federal advocacy outreach for issues like the Aggregate Expenditure Limit (AEL)...
Huge Win for AZ Child Care System-DES Provider Rate Adjustments!
On Friday, March 24th, the Department of Economic Security (DES) shared a message with early childhood educators throughout Arizona announcing new, exciting updates for the early childhood system statewide. These improvements are important to continue to strengthen Arizona’s early childhood system….