In a partnership between Arizona's governor and the Department of Economic Security, $3 million in grant awards will be distributed across the state for affordable out of school childcare.
DES Director Michael Wisehart said the initiative aims to help working families access childcare support.
“Child care is an extreme burden on families and we need as many individuals able to work productively while their children are being developed intellectually, stimulated in social classrooms and engaged in quality settings,” Wisehart said.
Wisehart said another big goal of the funding is to support facilities in all corners of the state.
“We're going to be engaged with 59 providers statewide, and they are going to run the gamut of small rural providers, small urban providers and larger urban provider areas as well,” Wisehart said.
Wisehart says the initiative works to support working parents who can’t care for their children during school breaks.
He says a new Child Care Provider Search Tool will additionally help parents navigate the confusing process of finding care.
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Arizona ranks ninth in the U.S. for number of incarcerated women. Most are moms, and many have histories of drug addiction, mental illness and physical or sexual abuse. And when it's time to come home — and many will — the work to repair those bonds can feel impossible without support. -
Fortesa Latifi is a journalist and author of the new book "Like, Follow, Subscribe: Influencer Kids and the Cost of a Childhood Online." She looks at the rise of the child influencer industry whose parents are often the ones behind the camera. -
The ordinance limits where riders can operate and places restrictions on operators younger than 16, including a ban on children under 12 operating e-bikes and scooters. -
Gov. Katie Hobbs won’t commit to sitting for an interview with fellow Democrat Kris Mayes, part of the attorney general’s investigation into allegations the governor gave a sweetheart deal to a group home for foster children. -
The bill requires instructing students in all grades between Kindergarten and high school on how to handle situations where a firearm is present. Opponents say it does nothing to improve gun safety.
