Mid Session Update
The Spring season in Arizona is already well underway. Everything is blooming, the weather is warming, delayed Spring Training has given way to Opening Day and for those who pay attention to what is happening at the Capitol, we enter a new phase of the Legislative Session. Each year the session begins…
AZ families could be dropped from health care (and don't even know it)
Early in the pandemic, the federal government issued a Public Health Emergency (PHE) declaration. This allowed the government access to funding and procedural flexibilities to help control the COVID-19 crisis. One of many such flexibilities was the decision to stop disenrolling people from Medicaid and…
One in Three High School Students Report Feeling Hopeless
It’s no surprise that school-aged children in the United States have been headed toward a mental health crisis for several years. In Arizona, increased testing demands and class sizes, school violence, and the pressures of social media were worsening all while the state continued cutting education…
CAA and FAAZ Seek Increased Supports for Youth Transitioning from Foster Care
Legislation to increase financial supports provided to transition-age foster youth has passed out of the Arizona State Senate and is being considered by the House of Representatives. SB 1325 (Shope) would increase the Independent Living Subsidy provided to youth ages 18 to 21 who are participating in…
Supreme Court strikes down Invest in Education Act
Last week, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge John Hannah was forced to rule in accordance with a confusing, heavy-handed opinion issued last year by the Arizona Supreme Court. Judge Hannah explained that the Supreme Court forced him to permanently strike down the Invest in Education Act, passed by…
Break the school funding cycle
The legislature has successfully addressed one of the most important issues this session by lifting the school spending limit for this school year. This allows Arizona’s public schools to spend the money they had already received and budgeted for, and avoid $1.2 billion in devastating cuts. But the…
AZ kids are at risk of losing health coverage
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 temporarily increased the federal government’s share of Medicaid costs. In return, states are prohibited from disenrolling anyone from Medicaid or CHIP (AHCCCS or KidsCare in Arizona) unless they move, die, or request to be disenrolled. This has kept…
Together, we can help families you serve get their full Child Tax Credit payments
The American Rescue Plan Act, passed by Congress as a response to the COVID pandemic, expanded the 2021 Child Tax Credit (CTC) to almost 90% of children in the U.S. This expansion is expected to reduce the number of children experiencing poverty by about 40% nationwide. Many studies have shown that additional…
Healthy Families Arizona needs new investments!
The Arizona legislative session is well underway, and we are looking forward to moving the needle on important early childhood issues this year. We are especially excited for the new opportunities surrounding the Healthy Families Arizona Home Visiting program (HFAz). This program serves as a critical…