Governor Doug Ducey today announced a plan to invest $56 million to expand Arizona’s child care subsidy programs, increasing access to child care for low-income working families and foster parents. The funding will be included in Governor Ducey’s budget, which will be released on Friday. 

Under Governor Ducey’s plan, 50 percent of the new funds will go toward increasing the average child care subsidy rate, affecting about 39,000 Arizona children. This additional funding will increase the average monthly child care subsidy rate by 16 percent at the Department of Child Safety and 17 percent at the Department of Economic Security. By upping the rates, Arizona’s maximum rate will now rank above neighboring states like Nevada, New Mexico and Texas. The remaining 50 percent of the funding will broaden the number of parents eligible to receive child care subsidies, improving access to child care for the parents of an additional 5,100 Arizona children. 

“Too many working parents must choose between a steady paycheck and caring for their kids. That’s unacceptable,” said Governor Ducey. “These new dollars will allow more parents to work while ensuring kids are safely and properly cared for. Helping families stay safe and strong is the right thing to do and will benefit our entire state.”

“Increasing the availability of child care assistance for working mothers represents a strong and unprecedented commitment by the Governor to support families in finding child care for their young children. These additional resources will expand job opportunities for families and lead to self-sufficiency,” said Amalia Luxardo, CEO of Women’s Foundation of Southern Arizona.

“Every child needs a safe environment,” said Sara O’Meara, Co-Founder and CEO of Childhelp. “Governor Ducey’s plan to expand support for child care will make a real difference in preventing child abuse and neglect.”