jsumner, Author at Stand for Children Arizona

ICYMI: Arizona Early Childhood Alliance Hosts Early Childhood Day

Current Events | 02/16/2026

Stand for Children

More than 300 people attended Early Childhood Day to advocate for affordable childcare, closing tobacco tax loophole

Phoenix, Ariz. – Today, the Arizona Early Childhood Alliance hosted Early Childhood Day at the Arizona Capitol. More than 300 people showed up to advocate for crucial investments in Arizona’s youngest residents including child care subsidies, closing the tobacco tax loophole that funds early childhood support, and establishing a child tax credit.

Early Childhood Day comes as the importance of early childhood investments grows. Arizona’s waitlist for childcare subsidies has grown to over 11,000 kids. Revenue from the tobacco tax to fund First Things First is down nearly $70 million since its inception. Arizona ranks as the 20^th most expensive state to raise a child and child care costs in 2024 rose at more than three times the rate of inflation.

Stand for Children Arizona’s 2026 Survey of Arizona Voters shows that investing in affordable child care, closing the tobacco tax loophole, and establishing a state-level Child Tax Credit are supported by a majority of Arizonans.

“Investing in Arizona’s youngest residents is imperative” said Stand for Children Arizona Executive Director Rebecca Gau. “And I hope our legislature will listen to the hundreds of Arizonans from all corners of the state who traveled to the Capitol today. Arizona’s working families deserve our support.”

For pictures from Early Childhood Day, click here.

Phone-Free School Policies Enjoy Broad Support Among Parents

Current Events | 01/15/2026

Stand for Children

Today, Stand for Children Arizona released results from its annual survey of Arizona voters concerning cell phones at Arizona schools. The survey, conducted in November, asked 800 likely 2026 general election voters about their thoughts on Arizona’s law restricting cell phone use during the school day.

When asked about the current law that requires restricting cell phone use during class time, 90% of survey respondents supported the law, including 76% who strongly supported it. That number includes 85% of parents (65% strongly).

In an initial sample, 69% (45% strong) supported phone-free policies prohibiting students from using their phones throughout the entire school day, including lunch and passing periods. That includes 63% of parents (42% strong support).

As respondents were given more information about phone-free policies, including the academic benefits of rigorous full day phone-free policies and the strong support from school safety professionals, support climbed to 81%, including 61% strong support. Among parents, support reached 77% (52% strong support).

“This shows there is a broad appetite among parents and our community to implement robust phone-free policies at our schools, beyond just instructional time. This makes sense because it takes the onus off the teacher. It also saves money for schools and takes some pressure off administrators, eliminating many of the discipline issues caused by cell phones.” said Stand for Children Arizona Executive Director Rebecca Gau. “We owe it to our students and our future to implement phone-free policies to help students be successful at school and in life.”

Full survey results are available here.

Stand for Children Arizona Applauds Governor Hobbs’ Focus on Public Safety, Affordability, and Education

Current Events | 01/12/2026

Stand for Children

Mar 23, 2017; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Stand for Children Arizona document Kindergarteners at local schools in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart)

Today, Governor Hobbs delivered her 4^th State of the State address as the 2^nd Session of the 56^th Legislature kicked off. At a time when over 60% of Arizona voters think the state is on the wrong track, Governor Hobbs laid out her agenda to move Arizona forward.

Stand for Children Arizona applauds the Governor for continuing to prioritize crucial investments in education and reducing costs for working families. We look forward to the legislature taking up these measures to support Arizonans.

According to our 2025 Survey of Arizona Voters, a super-majority of Arizonans (75%), including 59% of Republicans, believe there is a need for additional funding for public education.

“We are happy to see that Governor Hobbs continues to lay out a pro-affordability and pro-education agenda for Arizona and will help to reduce costs for working families,” said Stand for Children Arizona Executive Director Rebecca Gau. “We look forward to working with Governor Hobbs and the legislature to lower costs for Arizonans on these and other issues like affordable child care. We also must provide needed resources to Arizona’s schools by renewing Prop 123 and continuing to fund successful and cost-effective 9^th Grade On-Track programs. These steps will give Arizona families a chance at a brighter future.”

2026 Stand for Children Arizona Renaissance Scholarship Application Now Open

Current Events | 01/5/2026

Stand for Children

Apply here: Applications for the Stand for Children Arizona Renaissance Scholarship are now open! Learn more and apply today!

First generation college students can apply for $20,000 scholarships

Arizona – Today, Stand for Children Arizona began accepting applications for its 2026 Stand for Children Arizona Renaissance Scholarship. This marks the third time Stand for Children Arizona has awarded scholarships to high school students.

The scholarship, in partnership with longtime Stand for Children supporter The Renaissance Foundation, is worth $20,000 over 4 years. To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be in the first generation of their family to attend college, have a track record of support for their community, and show financial need and community leadership. Last year, Stand for Children Arizona recognized five students who wanted to be nurses, engineers, and musicians.

“Being selected as a Stand for Children Arizona Renaissance Scholar was a huge honor,” said 2025 Stand for Children Arizona Renaissance Scholar Keisha Orozco Lopez. “Winning the scholarship took a big weight off the shoulders of my family and me as I began college this fall. I’m excited the class of 2026 will have the same opportunity to benefit as I did.”

“This scholarship helped me afford to attend college and allowed me to pursue my dream of becoming a teacher,” said 2025 Stand for Children Arizona Renaissance Scholar Nerissa Felix. “I am so grateful for Stand for Children Arizona and The Renaissance Foundation for selecting me and helping open these doors.”

“We’re honored to continue supporting the education of Arizona’s future leaders as they begin a new chapter of their lives,” said Stand for Children Arizona Executive Director Rebecca Gau. “We are grateful for our partners at The Renaissance Foundation for allowing us to continue offering this life-changing $20,000 scholarship and cannot wait to meet our 2026 scholars.”

Applications are due February 1^st, 2026 and can be found here.

Winners of the Stand for Children Arizona Renaissance Scholarship will be honored on May 7th at Gateway Community College. For information about sponsoring the luncheon, please email Christina Morales Wood at [email protected].

With Inflation Top of Mind, Arizona Voters Support Early Childhood, Public Education Investments

Education Legislation | 12/15/2025

Stand for Children

Today, Stand for Children Arizona released results from its annual survey of Arizona voters. The survey, conducted in November, asked 800 likely 2026 general election voters about their thoughts on a variety of policies affecting everyday Arizonans, ranging from public schools and early childhood to inflation and tariffs.

The poll found support from 66% of Arizonans for investing at least $3.4 million in 9^th Grade On-Track. Of that, more than half (39%) support increasing funding to $15 million to expand the program to every high school. This support was bipartisan in nature with 50% of Republicans and 84% of Democrats supporting at least $3.4 million.

9^th Grade On-Track:

66% support investing at least $3.4 million in 9^th Grade On-Track.
39% support increasing funding to $15 million, enough to fund the program at every high school.
Support for continuing or increasing 9^th Grade On-Track funding enjoyed bipartisan support with 50% of Republicans supporting at least $3.4 million.

Early Childhood:

56% support renewing a $350 state Child Tax Credit, including 45% of Republicans.
61% support investing at least $45 million in affordable childcare. 35% support investing $136 million.
76% support closing the vape tax loophole to fund affordable childcare and 9^th Grade On-Track programs. 64% of Republicans support this.

Criminal Justice:

62% support eliminating juvenile life without parole sentences.
49% of Republicans support eliminating juvenile life without parole sentences.

Arizona’s Public Schools:

75% think Arizona’s public schools need more funding including 59% of Republicans.
15% listed a lack of adequate funding as the top issue facing schools.

The Legislature:

61% of voters think Arizona is on the wrong track, a 4-point increase from a year prior.
37% of voters would give the legislature an “F” for their handling of public schools, up from 36% a year ago.

The Economy:

19% of voters listed inflation as the most important issue facing Arizonans,
12% of voters listed inflation as the second most pressing issue.
59% of voters said they have seen prices rise due to tariffs.

“These survey results show that Arizonans want our legislature to invest in public schools and working families,” said Stand for Children Arizona Executive Director Rebecca Gau. “We hope the legislature will take the opportunity presented to them next year to meet voters where they are on these issues.”

Full survey results are available here.

Stand for Children Arizona Names Senator J.D. Mesnard, Representative Consuelo Hernandez 2025 Legislative Champions

Education Legislation | 11/24/2025

Stand for Children

Stand for Children Arizona is excited to announce Republican Senator J.D. Mesnard and Democrat Representative Consuelo Hernandez have been named its 2025 Legislative Champions. Both Senator Mesnard and Representative Hernandez were selected because of their leadership on several key issues — 9^th Grade On-Track, childcare subsidies, and a child tax credit—to help Arizona children build a brighter future.

Senator Mesnard played a key role in securing $3.4 million in funding to expand 9^th Grade On-Track programs and including the program in state statute. Representative Hernandez was a co-sponsor of a bill to fund 9^th Grade On-Track and the lead sponsor of a Child Tax Credit bill.

“We are honored to recognize both Senator Mesnard and Representative Hernandez with this award,” said Stand for Children Arizona Executive Director Rebecca Gau. “It was a pleasure to work with them to support our students and help Arizona’s children have a brighter future. We deeply appreciate J.D. Mesnard’s sound judgement, fairness, steadfast commitment to justice, and proven ability to build coalitions that put Arizona’s children first. Representative Hernandez proved that she is a champion for working families, willing to build coalitions and reach consensus to build a brighter future. We look forward to continuing to work with them to support Arizona’s future!”

10,000 Futures on Hold – Arizona Child Care Waitlist Nears 10,000

Current Events | 11/20/2025

Stand for Children

Arizona’s child care waitlist is approaching a new milestone. Almost 10,000 kids are now waiting for access to child care subsidies. That’s 10,000 futures on hold.

The child care waitlist was reinstated in August of 2024. In July, 900 children were released from the waitlist thanks to funds appropriated by the legislature in the FY2026 budget. Despite that, the need for affordable child care continues to grow thanks to cuts in federal funding.

A new report from the Center for the Future of Arizona suggests that expanding access to affordable child care could provide a more than $12 billion boost to our state economy. Previous reports estimate the lack of affordable child care is a nearly $5 billion hit to our state economy.

“As Arizonan’s wonder about the declining birth rate, and the cost of raising a family skyrockets, investing in child care for working families just makes sense. It means investing in a strong, prosperous economy,” said Stand for Children Arizona Executive Director Rebecca Gau. “Our economy does not work if thousands of Arizona parents are missing work because child care is unaffordable. That’s why more than 60% of Arizonans support funding for affordable child care.”

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Grant Applications for 9th Grade On-Track Funding are Now Open

Education Legislation | 11/6/2025

Stand for Children

School districts can now apply for grants to implement evidence-based programs to improve on-track rates

Arizona – This week, the Arizona Department of Education published a Request for Proposals for 9th Grade On-Track grant funding. These grants, funded by the legislature in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget, will enable schools to roll out evidence-based programming to improve graduation and on-track rates.

Ninth grade has been described as one of the most important years for a student’s education. Students who finish freshman year on-track for graduation are “3x more likely to graduate on-time.” In Chicago, improved on-track rates also came with improvements in overall academic performance. Across all CHSS schools, absenteeism has dropped by 26 points and on-track rates are up 19 points.

Currently, 4,900 students are benefiting from these programs across the Phoenix Union, JO Combs Unified, and Tolleson Union school districts. At Camelback High School, this program has helped improve the on-track rate by nearly 100% and the graduation rate by 20 points, decrease the absenteeism rate by 20 points, and allowed students more opportunities to take CTE classes to prepare for future careers. The grant will allow almost 20,000 more students to benefit from 9^th Grade On Track programming.

For help applying, school districts can contact Gina Yacovetta at [email protected].

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Arizona Students are Ready to Learn, Our Legislature has Left Schools Unprepared

Education Legislation | 08/5/2025

Stand for Children

Phoenix, Ariz. – For years, Arizona students have attended underfunded schools that are facing a teacher shortage crisis and are ranked near the bottom of the country. And as we begin a new school year, Arizona students face continued threats to their success, despite public school leaders and teachers who are giving their all every day.

Students are returning to public schools that are ranked last in the country—or 48th, depending on who you ask—due in large part to the fact that Arizona’s public schools are funded at only 2/3 of the national average. That’s $5300 per pupil below the average!

Meanwhile, Arizona’s public schools are in the midst of a teacher shortage crisis. Last year, more than 8% of classrooms were either vacant or filled with a teacher who “did not meet state requirements”. That’s part of why Arizona schools have the worst student-to-teacher ratio in the nation.

However, there is some good news this year. The legislature appropriated $3.4 million for 9th Grade on Track programs, meaning that more students will be able to benefit from this scientific approach to keep them on track for graduation. The legislature also included a two-year waiver of the AEL in the Fiscal Year 26 budget that will allow schools to spend their entire budget for the next two school years. And the legislature passed a bill requiring school districts to prohibit the use of phones during class time, a policy shown to improve academic outcomes and make students more engaged.

“Constant underfunding of the public schools which are chosen by the vast majority of Arizona students, and a failure to end the teacher shortage crisis, continue to shortchange the education of Arizona’s students,” said Stand for Children Arizona Executive Director Rebecca Gau. “Arizona’s students, teachers, and communities deserve better. Investments in programs like 9th Grade on Track are a start, but must be accompanied by larger investments in Arizona’s students.”

Some Wins for Arizona Families: Stand for Children Arizona Applauds Bipartisan 2026 Budget for Support of Arizona Children and Families

Current Events | 06/27/2025

Stand for Children

Phoenix, Ariz. – Today, the Arizona legislature passed a bipartisan budget funding the Arizona government for the next fiscal year. Although not perfect, the budget makes important steps toward strengthening Arizona’s children and families and setting them up for a brighter future.

Among the notable pro-child and pro-family investments included in the budget:

$3.4 million for 9^th grade on track programs, investing in improving on-track and graduation rates at Arizona high schools. At Camelback High School, on-track rates have nearly doubled since the program was implemented in 2019.
$3.8 million for free school lunches, investing in eliminating co-pays for students on the reduced-price lunch program. Last year, this program increased school breakfast and lunch participation by 1 million.
$45 million for childcare subsidies, to begin eliminating the childcare waitlist that currently has nearly 6,000 children on it and help parents afford to work.
2-year waiver of the Aggregate Expenditure Limit, eliminating near-term uncertainty pertaining to school budgets. Had this not been included, schools may not have been able to spend their full budgets, despite having been approved by the legislature.

“We applaud Governor Hobbs and the Arizona legislature for working together to make crucial investments in Arizona’s children and families,” said Stand for Children Arizona Executive Director Rebecca Gau. “Although we would have liked to see more investments in Arizona’s families over some other elements of the budget, we are grateful for a focus on keeping kids on track for high school graduation, eliminating co-pays for reduced price lunches, expanding childcare subsidies, and giving schools the confidence to spend their budget. Continuing to invest in these programs will help set thousands of Arizona children on the path to a brighter future.”

ICYMI: Arizona Early Childhood Alliance Hosts Press Conference to Call for Investments in Affordable Childcare

Current Events | 04/8/2025

Stand for Children

Phoenix, Ariz. – Today, the Arizona Early Childhood Alliance (AZECA) hosted a press conference at the Arizona Capitol to call on the legislature to include crucial investments in childcare in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget. The Arizona Early Childhood Alliance was joined by Representative Sarah Ligouri (LD 5), childcare providers, parents, and early childhood advocates.

The press conference comes just weeks before legislators believe a budget could be finalized and while Arizona families are struggling under the high cost of childcare. The average cost of childcare for a single child has risen to nearly $11,000 per year while more than 2,600 children are stuck on a waitlist for childcare subsidies.

In the Fiscal Year 2026 budget, Arizona has the opportunity to end the waitlist for childcare subsidies and bring down the cost of childcare for thousands of Arizonans.

“In response to this pressing issue, I, along with several dedicated colleagues, have sponsored HB 2643,” said Representative Sarah Ligouri (LD 5). “This legislation proposes an appropriation from the state general fund to draw down federal funds for childcare assistance and to clear the wait list. These funds are intended to expand access to affordable childcare, support our hardworking families, and stimulate economic growth.”

“Childcare is very important to single mothers like myself and give us the peace of mind to go back to work and take care of business while our kids are being taken care of in safe and secure facilities,” said Rachel Camara, a mom from Glendale, Arizona. “Childcare is very important to Arizona and family as well doesn’t matter the background. But it’s very, very important that we work on this waiting list.”

Photos from the press conference can be found here.

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ICYMI: Stand for Children Arizona Hosts Tucson Roundtable on Importance of Affordable Childcare Investments

Current Events | 04/5/2025

Stand for Children

Tucson, Ariz. – Today, Stand for Children Arizona gathered parents and childcare providers from across Tucson to speak with Representative Alma Hernandez (LD 20) about the importance of early childhood investments to be included in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget. Among the topics discussed was the importance of investments in affordable childcare and the need for an earned income tax credit.

The roundtable came at a time when the average cost of childcare for a single kid has risen to nearly $11,000 per year and nearly one-third of young children are eligible for child care subsidies. Numbers suggest than more than 2,000 children are currently on a waitlist for childcare subsidies.

“As I talk to families in my district, the need for greater access to affordable childcare is evident,” said Representative Alma Hernandez. “Childcare is a vital necessity for these young families. I will continue to advocate for our state to make these crucial investments to support families in my district and throughout the state.”

Video from the Early Childhood Roundtable can be seen here.

Press Release: Stand for Children Arizona, Arizona Early Childhood Alliance Host Early Childhood Day at the Capitol

Current Events | 02/17/2025

Stand for Children

Phoenix, Ariz. – Today, Stand for Children Arizona joined the Arizona Early Childhood Alliance for Early Childhood Day at the Capitol. As part of the festivities, more than 300 advocates from across the state came together at the Arizona Capitol to meet with lawmakers to advocate for pro-early childhood policies like an earned income tax credit and childcare subsidies.

In addition to meeting with legislators, Early Childhood Day featured a panel discussion on Improving Arizona’s Early Childhood Education System. The panel featured experts in economic development including Katie Hurst, the Arizona Association for Economic Development Executive Director, Andrea Helart, the President and CEO of the Lake Havasu Chamber of Commerce, and Mike Hutchinson, the Executive Vice President of the Phoenix East Valley Partnership.

Advocates also participated in a stroll around the Capitol and an advocacy training, learning important skills to help continue advocating for legislation to invest in childcare and an earned income tax credit.

“Our children are the future of our state,” said Stand for Children Arizona Executive Director Rebecca Gau. “That’s why it is so important that we invest in them and their families to reduce the cost of childcare and return money to working families—two policies that 62% of Arizonans support.”

Pictures and video from the event can be found here.