Stand for Children Arizona Executive Director Rebecca Gau released the following statement about Arizona’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget that passed out of the legislature yesterday.

“We applaud Governor Hobbs and legislative leadership for working to make Arizona more affordable for working families. Their inclusion of a child tax credit and continuing to fund child care subsidies are wins. 

However, we are disappointed in what was not included in the budget,” said Stand for Children Arizona Executive Director Rebecca Gau. “No funding for 9^th Grade On-Track. No funding for the Independent Corrections Oversight Office. And not enough funding to fully eliminate the childcare waitlist.

These are commonsense programs with a small overall expense that would pay huge dividends for Arizonans and our economy. We hope that when Arizona is in better financial shape, we make these important programs a priority again.”

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Stand for Children Arizona Statement on Fiscal Year 2027 Budget

jsumner Jun 12, 2026 1 min read

Stand for Children Arizona Executive Director Rebecca Gau released the following statement about Arizona’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget that passed out of the legislature yesterday. “We applaud Governor Hobbs and legislative leadership for working to make Arizona more affordable for working families. Their inclusion of a…

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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].

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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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.” 

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.  

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.  

Originally published by azcentral. “Tom Horne Attacks Lessons for English Learners without Knowing the Law.” August 26, 2023.

Stand for Children Arizona applauds Governor Hobbs for her strong display of leadership in her first State of the State address. Her call for bipartisanship to tackle key issues signals a unique landscape for our students and schools. It is evident, more than ever, that Arizonans need their leaders to act, and Governor Hobbs has made her message clear: if we are to make progress, we need to work together.

Heading into this legislative session, schools are struggling with burdensome policies such as the Aggregate Expenditure Limit (AEL) blocking schools from critical funding that was allocated in last year’s state budget, and the extreme budgetary consequences from the unaccountable ESA voucher program from previous Governor Doug Ducey’s administration. The current cost is well over $300 million – much higher than advertised during the budget process last year.

In her speech, Governor Hobbs appropriately called on the legislature to act quickly to address the AEL. As one of the organizations that led the charge to increase school funding last session, Stand for Children Arizona couldn’t agree more that legislators have an obligation to honor the promise made to fix the AEL as soon as possible – both for this year, and in the long term.

It is estimated that if the AEL is not waived this year, districts will be forced to cut 17% of their budget, a total of $1.3 billion taken from our local schools. This could result in shortened school years, a deeper teacher shortage, and decaying buildings and infrastructure.

In Stand for Children Arizona’s annual poll, voters indicated they want the AEL fixed immediately as well.

The December 2022 results showed that:

1. When asked if there were to be a statewide ballot measure that would permanently raise the expenditure limit, 62% of Arizonans said they would vote “Yes” on it.
2. When asked the same question, but for a ballot measure that would remove the limit altogether, 54% said they would vote “Yes”.

Also, according to our survey, the legislature heads into 2023 with 54% of voters unhappy with their performance – the highest it has ever been in our survey’s history. We hope that legislators will put kids before politics, and work together with Governor Hobbs to support our students and teachers.

Every year, Stand for Children Arizona, conducts a poll of Arizona voters asking them to weigh in on key issues facing education in the state. Our 2022 public opinion survey results reveal that the majority of Arizonans feel failed leadership in the legislature has negatively impacted our students and that “lack of adequate funding” is the biggest issue facing our schools. 

Arizonans are unhappy with failed leadership and think schools need more funding, prompting many to support a fix for the AEL 

• 57% of voters feel Arizona as a whole is on the wrong track, a 5% increase from Dec. 2021 and the worst sentiment since these polls began in 2019. 
• When asked to evaluate how well the legislature is serving schools, 57% of voters gave a “D” or Failing grade, the worst result since that question was first asked in 2020. 
• Voters feel “lack of adequate funding” is the biggest problem facing our schools – 19% chose it as the highest-ranking issue. 

• When asked how much of a need there is for additional funding for Arizona’s public schools, 69% still feel there is “Great” or “Some” need – with over 51% saying there is “Great” need. 

Not only do Arizonans feel dissatisfied with leadership, Arizonans are feeling let down by their own schools. When asked to evaluate Arizona’s public schools in grades K through 12: 

• 44% of voters gave Arizona public schools a “D” or Failing grade 

Now, when asked to evaluate schools in voters’ personal communities: 

• This year, only 29% of voters gave their own schools an “A” or “B” grade – a full 5% drop since Dec. 2021 and the lowest since we began asking that question over five years ago. 

Clearly, parents feel their schools are becoming less effective and less well supported by the legislature. 

To fix the issue of state funding for education, many leaders and organizations have pointed to the outdated Aggregate Expenditure Limit (AEL) as a major obstacle to Arizona’s public schools providing a high-quality education that they can be proud of.   

In June, the legislature passed and Governor Ducey approved a state budget that substantially increased investment in Arizona public schools. However, the nearly $1 billion allotted to public schools has yet to make it to classrooms due to the archaic spending cap. Stand for Children Arizona asked voters how they felt about dealing with the limit. 

The survey suggests a ballot measure to resolve the AEL issue could be successfully passed 

• When asked if there were a statewide ballot measure that would permanently raise the expenditure limit, 62% of Arizonans said they would vote “Yes” on it. 
• When asked the same question, but for a ballot measure that would remove the limit altogether, 54% said they would vote “Yes.” 

The polling then asked voters to respond to statements surrounding the AEL: 

• 63% of Arizonans feel that “the state’s current budget process is cumbersome, bureaucratic, and out of touch with what schools really need to provide a high-quality education that we can be proud of” is a strong argument to eliminate the expenditure limit. 

• 60% of Arizonans find the fact that “the spending limit creates undue financial stress and burden on our schools” is a strong argument to “raise the spending limit or remove it altogether.” 

Arizonans want teachers to be able to teach.  

• Voters feel teacher pay is the main reason to increase funding – 21% of voters who expressed schools had “Great” or “Some” need of additional funding said teacher pay was the main reason to increase funding. 

They are also sympathetic to teacher’s need for academic freedom: 

• 63% of surveyed Arizonans agree that teachers should be assured of academic freedom in setting curriculum without government interference in setting curriculum. 
• 57% of voters agree with the statement that Arizona legislators “are trying to tie the hands of teachers by preventing them from teaching important topics that kids need to learn so we don’t repeat the mistakes of our past.” 

Arizonans want investment in early learning. 

• 68% of voters support establishing state funding for all-day Kindergarten in all Arizona public school districts and charters. 
• 65% of voters support establishing state funding for pre-Kindergarten programs in all Arizona public school districts and charters. 

Along with questions surrounding school performance and budget concerns, the survey included questions about how voters feel about the “wide array of administrative fees on youth and their families,” offering Arizonans the opportunity to share their thoughts on improving the justice system for our youth. 

Arizonans support fairer treatment of kids in juvenile court 

• A majority of surveyed Arizonans support a proposal to eliminate court administrative fees associated only with juvenile court – 51% support, 29% oppose, and 20% don’t know. To note: eliminating these administrative fees does not impact civil and criminal penalties or restitution for victims. 

There are multiple supported justifications on eliminating these fees: 

• 61% of voters feel “reforming the juvenile court system to eliminate burdensome administrative court fees does not mean that convicted offenders will be excused from having to pay civil penalties or restitution to victims” is a strong argument for eliminating all fees associated with juvenile court. 

• 60% of Arizonans think a good reason to remove the financial burden of juvenile court fees on our youth is that “ultimately, a well-functioning juvenile court system will reduce the likelihood of those youth ending up in our state prisons in the future”. 

As we turn the page to 2023, I think many former colleagues of mine can learn a lot from this data. When I served in the legislature, the findings of a survey like this were incredibly important. Now, I’m eager to apply this same insight into the work we are doing here at Stand for Children Arizona! 

Clearly, Education remains a major focus for Arizonans, and voters support the Aggregate Expenditure Limit getting removed or, at the very least, raised. Also, it is relevant to point out that the legislature heads into 2023 with 54% of voters unhappy with their performance – the highest it has ever been in all of the years Stand for Children has surveyed the public. I’d hope that reasonable leaders will respond to the needs of Arizona and work together with our new Governor to support our students and teachers. 

Click here to view detailed polling results. 

Since our founding in 2009, Stand Arizona has been a leading advocate for proven policies,
along with the funding necessary, to ensure all students have access to a high-quality
education. For the past four years, we have co-led the Invest in Education Coalition, which
developed and passed Proposition 208 to help address our state’s chronic public school teacher
shortage, improve our state’s worst in the nation counselor to student ratios, and increase our
state’s low graduation rates.

This bipartisan education budget will help Arizona public schools address these key challenges
in order to increase student achievement and improve education outcomes across the state,
ensure Arizona students are better prepared for life beyond the classroom, and that our
Arizona businesses have the skilled workforce necessary to remain competitive.

The budget includes substantial increases in base funding and significant new formula weights
to help Arizona schools mitigate the impacts of poverty on student achievement and make
significant strides in catching up to the costs of additional learning support provided through
special education. Additional one-time monies will help schools address delayed capital
projects, replace transportation fleets, and upgrade technology.

Throughout the budget process, Stand Arizona worked closely with school-based leaders,
legislators, and education groups across the state. We would especially like to thank the school
district superintendents who came together to create and persistently champion a budget that
will boost student success in every corner of our great state.

As we await Governor Ducey’s signature, we would like to express our appreciation for the
legislature’s support and commitment to public schools demonstrated through the FY23
budget, with particular thanks to those legislators on both sides of the aisle who worked
tirelessly and insistently for a comprehensive package that would advance public schools
statewide.

For the better part of twenty years, major funding for education in Arizona has been secured
through the ballot box and the courts, not the legislature. It is particularly noteworthy that in
honoring the will of the voters expressed in 2020 with the passage of Proposition 208, the
legislature has acted on a bipartisan basis to meaningfully invest in public education.

PARENTS HAVE POWER!

A great example of people using their power to influence change in their community happened in Alhambra School District in February. Stand helped Alhambra parents partner with their superintendent to engage in listening sessions to share their concerns about what was happening in their community.

In the listening sessions, parents shared that the issues keeping kids from focusing in school are external to school – things like homelessness, drugs, prostitution, and robbery. On their way to school, kids are seeing people sleeping on the street and walking past discarded needles on the ground. One Stand mom, Luisa, said her kids were scared. They were worrying about the walk home at the end of the day instead of focusing on what was happening in class.

These conversations led to a proposal before the Phoenix city council last month, Act 49, which successfully passed 7-1, investing $4.1M into community safety measures. Over 50 Stand parents showed up at the council meeting and three Stand leaders testified, sharing their stories and why these changes were needed.

And the city listened.

The Phoenix streets where kids walk to school will be safer with more streetlights, cameras, and other safety measures thanks to a successful partnership between Stand parents and the City of Phoenix. We couldn’t be more grateful to both!

Arizonans are fed up with failed leadership at the state capitol.

The battle for more funding and investment into schools is putting the actions of state leaders at odds with the demands of voters. Time after time, voters have expressed their disapproval in public opinion polls and organized efforts to secure much needed funding for teachers and students.

Last year, 1.7 million Arizona voters passed Prop 208 – a historic initiative that would raise nearly a billion dollars annually in K-12 education funding to help address the state’s longstanding teacher shortage crisis, lower class sizes, hire aides and counselors, and expand career and technical education.

Over the last year and a half, legislative leaders and Governor Ducey were determined to kill Prop 208 and deny voters what they have been asking for over a decade: more investment in education.

Today, Arizona stands as the state where teacher pay is among the lowest in the nation, class size is the highest in the nation, and the student to counselor ratio is the worst in the nation, with an average of 900 students for every counselor.

This week, Stand for Children Arizona released our 2021 Annual Poll. This has been an annual survey to gage the support from voters on important issues like education and leadership. This poll is also significant because it delivers five years of data on some questions.

The new public opinion survey reveals that a majority of Arizonans believe the state is headed in the wrong direction and have continued their low approval ratings for the Governor and the legislature from last year.

Voters are not happy with the direction of the state, or state policymakers  

• 52% of voters believe things in Arizona are on the wrong track. This has held steady from last year and is up 20% since 2019. Similarly, only 33% of voters believe the state is on the right track, down from its highest point of 50% in 2018. Going even further back, in 2016 48% believed the state was heading in the right direction and only 34% believed the state was on the wrong track. (Slide 4)  
• 52% of voters have a total unfavorable impression of Gov Ducey, with 33% saying “very unfavorable.” (Slide 5)  
• 50% of voters have an unfavorable view of the AZ legislature, up from 48% last year (Slide 5)  

• Arizona voters give Gov Ducey a failing grade when it comes to helping Arizona’s public schools, 43% give him a “D or Fail”. This is way up from 31% in 2019. (Slide 7)  
• Arizona voters give the legislature a failing grade when it comes to helping Arizona’s public schools, 47% give a “D or Fail”. This is up from 41% in 2019. (Slide 8) 

At the same time voters give these sinking favorability ratings, they intend to hold policymakers accountable for key policy decisions affecting education funding.   

• 46% of voters say they would be less likely to vote for a candidate for state office who was part or supported the efforts to overturn Prop 208 – Invest in ED. (Slide 11)   
• In order to stop the citizen referral Prop 307, legislators are considering a legislative gimmick known as “repeal and replace” that would basically block voters from voting on the referral, ensuring the tax cut for the wealthy stays in place. 55% of voters say that they would be less likely to vote for a candidate for state office who was part of or supported efforts by the legislature to “repeal and replace.”  

Voters continue to strongly support education funding.   

• 71% of Arizona voters believe there is a need for additional funds for public schools, with 48% saying that there is a “great need.” This overwhelming support has held steady since last year. Only 24% say there is not much need.   

• 67% of voters believe the state spending cap on education funding needs to be addressed. 37% of voters say they support increasing the spending limit on education, while 30% say they would support permanently removing the spending limit on education. This includes 76% of rural voters supporting an increase/removal on the spending limit and 52% of Republican voters supporting the increase/removal of the spending limit on education.    
• 60% of voters say that “Politicians shouldn’t be allowed to overturn voter-approved education funding just because they don’t like the results of the election,” is a convincing reason to oppose efforts to “repeal and replace” SB 1828 – the tax giveaway for the wealthy.  
• 61% of voters say that “The fate of Prop 208 should be decided by the 1.7 million voters who passed it, not 48 politicians in Phoenix,” is a convincing reason to oppose efforts to “repeal and replace” SB 1828 – the tax giveaway for the wealthy.   

Politicians who oppose increased education funding are in jeopardy. Voters are watching their elected officials and strongly dislike candidates that oppose education funding.  

• 59% of voters find that “Legislators must be held accountable in next November’s election for undermining the will of the voters,” is a convincing reason to oppose efforts to “repeal and replace” SB 1828 – the tax giveaway for the wealthy.  
• 61% of voters say that “The Legislature shouldn’t try any dishonest gimmicks to push through their tax cut for the wealthy – they should let the voters decide in November” is a convincing reason to oppose efforts to “repeal and replace” SB 1828 – the tax giveaway for the wealthy. 

The survey was conducted in December 2021, by Moore Information Group. You can see the full results on our website.

Voters want politicians to fulfil their commitment to students and teachers.  

Arizonans have spoken and will not give in to any attempts to cut funding to our schools. In fact, voters feel quite the opposite. We invite you to join us in our effort to restore funding to our schools and keep state leaders accountable.  

Good leadership means looking out for working families.

We commend our nation’s leaders who, through the Build Back Better Framework, have set the path forward to providing families nationwide the resources they need to succeed.

Right now, the choice to continue investing in Arizona families is in our elected official’s hands.

When the American Rescue Plan was passed, it put money directly into families’ pockets with the expansion of the Child Tax Credit. For many working families, the Child Tax Credit expansion has been a godsend.Unfortunately, as of now, the expanded Child Tax Credit is set to expire – leaving our communities in dire circumstances. We need the Child Tax Credit to be extended and made permanent.

Over the past year, our team at Stand AZ has connected with families to hear about their needs. We’ve heard from thousands of hard-working parents whose lives have been changed by receiving the monthly Child Tax Credit payments.

This sweeping effort has cut child poverty by 45 percent. The payments have provided more than 35 million Americans with food security, the ability to afford rent, and the funds needed to take care of the basic needs of their children.

While a one-year extension provides only temporary relief, we know it’s a first step in changing the futures of an entire generation of children. For Miguel Gaytan, a father in Phoenix, the Child Tax Credit is a crucial need for his family.

“The child tax credit money has helped my family in so many ways, I’ve been able to catch a break and pay past due bills that have set my family behind. My wife had lost her job during COVID so this money has truly been a lifesaver. I know there are so many other families out there like mine who are still struggling to pay off debts and trying to keep their family afloat, this pandemic is not over and this extra bit of help goes a long way. I hope the government makes this a permanent program so that families can continue to feel supported.” 

Extending the CTC is extraordinarily vital for low and middle-income families. For working mom, Kattya Valdez and her daughter, Isabella,  this is very much the case. Like many families since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, life has been a struggle. Also like many families, the expansion of the CTC has helped ease that burden. As Katya says,  

“I am very grateful to have a job, but as a single parent, it is sometimes difficult to make ends meet month to month. The Child Tax Credit money has been extremely helpful in paying for my daughter’s tutoring and catching up on my monthly bills.” 

You can learn more about the CTC at childtaxcredit.gov. 

Along with thousands of our supporters from Arizona and around the country, we call upon members of both houses of Congress to support the legislation that will be built upon the Build Back Better framework and forever be a part of a historic investment in our nation’s future. 

This piece was published on the Arizona Capitol Times on August 26th, 2021

Right now, Arizona is experiencing a child care crisis. Costs and demand for high-quality child care are on the rise in Arizona. Now, with the pandemic forcing one-third of the state’s licensed child care providers to close, parents are left with nowhere to turn while workers lose their livelihoods. As parents, advocates for children, and policy experts, we know first-hand how critical quality child care is for our children, families, and local economies.

Kelley Murphy

To fully address our state’s child care crisis, the Senate must support President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda, which guarantees access to high-quality, affordable child care for low- and middle-income families and provides universal free preschool to all 3- and 4-year-old children. This historic investment will set our children up for success throughout their lives and strengthen our communities. Investing in child care will boost our local and national economies. A recent study has found that the nation’s child care crisis costs the country $57 billion a year in lost earnings, productivity and revenue. Expanding access to affordable child care and supporting the Build Back Better agenda will give 29,532 more Arizona parents the option to work and will generate $3 billion of new economic activity in our state. This plan will also support child care providers and ensure that child care workers are paid a living wage of at least $15 an hour. Beyond being the right decision for our children and working families, investing in child care is the right choice for our economy.

Quality child care is critical to a child’s development and long-term success. Children enrolled in quality early care and education programs build early literacy skills, and develop basic social, emotional, and problem-solving skills that prepare them for formal schooling. Studies have shown that children who participate in quality early care and education programs are more likely to graduate from high school, obtain a job, and make a higher income than peers who do not. Providing access to quality early care and education can also reduce racial and income gaps in academic outcomes and performance. By investing in universal free preschool and expanding access to quality child care, the Build Back Better agenda will ensure that Arizona’s children are on a path to success from the start.  

Rebecca Gau

Arizona families are struggling to keep up with the rising cost of child care. Right now, the annual cost of infant care for one child eats up 19.8% of a median family’s income in Arizona. At $10,948 a year, infant care in Arizona is now more expensive than tuition for public college. Arizonans can’t keep up with these skyrocketing costs, which is why Congress needs to put money back into the hands of working families and invest in affordable child care. By covering the cost of quality child care for low-income families and ensuring that middle-income families pay no more than 7% of their income toward child care, the Build Back Better agenda will save average Arizona families thousands of dollars.  

Arizona can’t let the child care crisis go on any longer. We need Congress to support our communities and invest in our children, families, and child care providers. We urge Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly to support the Build Back Better agenda and deliver the child care and early learning investments Arizona needs to strengthen our communities. 

Kelley Murphy is vice-president policy, Children’s Action Alliance and Rebecca Gau is executive director, Stand for Children Arizona.