Working Arizona parents juggling school schedules and paychecks are about to get a little backup from the state. On Friday, Gov. Katie Hobbs rolled out a $3 million package aimed at cutting the cost of out-of-school child care and making it easier for families to track down available spots. The money ties together new grants for after-school and summer programs with funding to grow small, home-based child care businesses under the administration’s Bright Futures AZ initiative.
The Arizona Department of Economic Security says the Bright Futures AZ Out-of-School Time Grant will help families cover up to two-thirds of child care costs during school breaks and over the summer for children ages 5 to 12. DES also notes that the program is expanding access at a time when the state has moved more than 1,500 children off the child care assistance waiting list, while more than 11,000 children are still waiting for help, according to the Arizona Department of Economic Security.
Microbusiness grants to boost small providers
To get more child care slots online, the governor’s office says the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity has tapped four nonprofit community lenders to share more than $700,000 so they can offer loans, training and technical assistance to child care microbusinesses. The selected lenders, Community Investment Corporation, Border Financial Resources, Hustle PHX and MicroCare Community Development Solutions, are expected to help home-based and small providers increase the number of children they serve, according to a news release from the governor’s office.
What this means for families
“Child care is a lifeline for Arizona families,” Gov. Katie Hobbs said as she announced the grants. The administration says the new funding will allow 59 providers statewide to serve more than 2,500 children ages 5 to 12, with 30% of the funding carved out specifically for rural communities. The rollout also includes a new Child Care Provider Search Tool that lets parents filter options by hours, age accepted, languages spoken, quality rating and accepted financial assistance, according to the governor’s office.
Where to find help
Families can find the new search tool and details about child care assistance on the Arizona Department of Economic Security’s website, while entrepreneurs hunting for microbusiness financing can check the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity funding pages for lender contacts and application timelines. Local reporting on the program rollout is available from 12News, and both state pages linked above include guidance for providers interested in applying.
