OPINION — Arizona families are paying more than $1,300 per month for child care, on average. That’s unaffordable, and it costs our state billions of dollars every year as parents are forced to make tough choices between working and affording child care.
Arizona cannot afford to lose a single dollar in federal early childhood investments. We call on Arizona’s congressional delegation to protect and strengthen programs like the Child Care and Development Block Grant, Head Start and Preschool Development Grants that support working families, providers and children, while bipartisan solutions like the Child Care Modernization Act to expand access to affordable child care.
But federal action alone is not enough. Arizona’s governor and Legislature must also step up and invest in child care subsidies. More than 12,500 children remain on our state’s child care waitlist, leaving families without the support they need to work and provide for their children.
