Arizona
Working families in Arizona need accessible, affordable, quality child care and early learning opportunities for their children.
Currently, federal and state early learning programs reach thousands of young children and their families in Arizona. But too many working families in Arizona are missing out. As a direct result of child care issues, the Arizona economy loses millions of dollars each year in the form of lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.
There are 486K children ages 5 and under in Arizona – 61% of these children have all available parents in the workforce.
The typical annual cost of child care for an infant in Arizona is around $14,000.
The Child Care and Development Block Grant only reaches 14% of eligible families in Arizona. (This federal program helps low-income parents afford child care.)
On average, child care providers in Arizona earn just $35,680 a year; this can make it a challenge to recruit and retain this workforce, leading to supply issues.
Arizona’s economy loses $2.2B annually due to child care challenges
Arizona: In The Headlines
‘We’ve seen a decrease’: Arizona seeking more family child care providers
12 News | May 23, 2024
Arizona’s Department of Economic Security’s Division of Child Care says there’s been a decrease in the number of providers caring for children out of their home.
Opinion: Arizona child care costs as much as college, and that hurts more than parents
AZ Central | September 11, 2024
A lack of quality, affordable child care costs Arizona billions in lost productivity and revenue. And that’s just the immediate costs.
More Arizona families in need of child care
AZ Family | January 17, 2024
Arizona’s ongoing teacher shortage and low teacher salaries have impacted the state’s quality and quantity of preschool resources.
Arizona Resources & News
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