Children's Action Alliance

06/06/2026

📣 ATTN AZ policymakers, You’ve made important gains and AZ children and families are desperately counting on you to invest more in affordable child care . . .

“Michelle Crow is the Southern Arizona director of the Children’s Action Alliance who is championing the $160 million funding increase. She says the state is facing a crisis with access to affordable childcare and that the economics of the field are changing rapidly.

“The stories that we’re hearing is true frustration from parents and childcare providers,” she says. “We sort of dug ourselves into the Grand Canyon of not funding childcare and we really do have to work our way back out,” Crow says.

Parents and childcare professionals are advocating for more government funding to dig the state out of “the Grand Canyon” of childcare access.

06/05/2026

This week, Children’s Action Alliance joined KJZZ’s The Show to talk about the rapidly growing child care assistance wait list and the urgent need for state investment in affordable child care. More than 12,700 Arizona children are currently on the wait list, leaving families across the state without access to the care they need to work and support their children.
Child care is essential infrastructure for Arizona families, communities, and our economy. That’s why CAA and partners across the state are calling for a $160 million investment to fully fund the child care assistance program and eliminate the wait list.

Every child deserves access to safe, affordable care- and every family deserves the opportunity to thrive.
Send a letter to the Governor’s Office and your lawmakers on the need to invest in the program: https://ececonsortium.quorum.us/campaign/163586/

Listen to the interview here: https://www.kjzz.org/the-show/2026-06-04/arizonas-childcare-waitlist-is-growing-rapidly-160-million-is-needed-to-catch-up-advocate-says

There are now more than 12,700 kids on the DES waitlist for childcare assistance. And 500 of them were added to the list in the last month alone.

06/04/2026

We’re honored to be named Best Nonprofit Advocacy Group at the 2026 Best of Capitol Awards. Thank you to our community, our peers, the Arizona Capitol Times, and the mighty CAA team! What a testament to our team’s dedication and passion for showing up for children and families every day. And we’re fortunate do this work with amazing partners and supporters. 🏆🧡

06/03/2026

A new report shows a troubling trend for young children in Arizona. More than 43,200 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers were uninsured in Arizona in 2024. 9% of Arizona’s children under age 6 were uninsured in 2024 compared to 5.3% of children nationwide.

It’s a warning sign. But we can reverse this trend. Arizona leaders can take action to ensure eligible children can get and keep their health coverage.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4nZZUbt

06/01/2026

Arizona families are facing a growing child care crisis- and we need your help now.

Children’s Action Alliance is joining partners across the state, including the ARIZONA EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION ASSOCIATION and the Arizona Early Childhood Alliance, in calling on state leaders to make a meaningful investment in child care during ongoing budget negotiations.

Governor Hobbs and the Legislature has proposed $44.8 million for the Child Care Assistance Program, an important step forward- but Arizona families need more. We are urging the Legislature and Governor’s Office to invest $160 million in child care to eliminate the waitlist.

Help us get to 7,562 letters to help 7,562 families who are currently on the waitlist: https://ececonsortium.quorum.us/campaign/163586/

05/29/2026

May is Foster Care Awareness Month and this year, we especially amplify the need for support for youth as they make the transition to independence.

Youth aging out of foster care face real challenges: housing instability, joblessness, academic hurdles, and more. We must ensure they have the support systems to help them reach their goals. Read more on our blog: https://azchildren.org/news-and-events/we-are-better-than-our-files-our-placement-and-our-circumstances/

05/28/2026

Read one Tucson grandparent’s story about how raising her grandchildren is a blessing and also takes an economic toll.

✅ Bigger vehicle
✅ New child care bills
✅ Groceries
✅ Had to delay retirement

This is why we urge Governor Hobbs and the legislature to increase support for grandparents and other kinship caregivers in the FY27 budget. Read more and please support our efforts: https://azchildren.org/news-and-events/supporting-struggling-grandparents-and-kin-in-arizonas-fy27-budget/

Cynthia Gonzalez, 58, is raising two of her grandchildren in Tucson, Arizona, leading her to put any retirement plans on hold to pay for expenses.

05/27/2026

That time of year is coming up! 🤩 🥳

Save the date for our Champions for Children Awards Luncheon 2026, happening October 22 from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM at The Parsons Leadership Center for Girls and Women at Camp South Mountain!

Join us as we honor extraordinary community members championing Arizona's children and families. ⭐

Grab your tickets here or check out our opportunities to become a sponsor: https://azchildren.salsalabs.org/championsforchildren2026/

05/22/2026

Thank you to Alliance For Early Success for gathering with Children’s Action Alliance and other leaders in Arizona’s early childhood community.

We appreciate the thoughtful leadership of Albert Wat and Aaliyah Roulhac from the Alliance. Our gathering included inspiring voices of lived experience, shared learning, and identifying opportunities to continue to advance our cause for kids and families. Thanks to all who made these conversations so meaningful. We move forward together!

05/21/2026

As Arizona negotiates its FY27 budget, Children's Action Alliance is calling on Governor Hobbs and the Legislature to make two critical investments for kinship families:

✅ Increase the Kinship Stipend ($2.2M) to support relatives caring for children through DCS

✅ Restore TANF cash assistance for kinship caregivers to provide critical financial support for relatives caring for children outside of DCS custody. Using existing federal funds, at no new cost to the state.

Kinship care is better for children's long-term well-being AND more cost-effective than congregate care. It's a smart investment in Arizona's kids.

Add your voice & urge our state leaders to prioritize kinship families in the FY27 budget: https://azchildren.salsalabs.org/kinshipalert/