In mid-April, Governor Katie Hobbs announced $3 million in grant awards for out-of-school time providers and launched a new Child Care Provider Search Tool to help families find high-quality care for their children. She also announced that four nonprofit community lending organizations will receive more than $700,000 in funding to help childcare microbusinesses grow the number of children they serve. These efforts are part of the Governor’s Bright Futures AZ initiative to make childcare more affordable and accessible for Arizona families.
The $3 million awarded through the Bright Futures AZ Out-of-School Time Grant Program, which is being administered by the Department of Economic Security (DES), will enable 59 providers across the state to serve more than 2,500 children ages 5 to 12. These funds will cut the cost of childcare by two-thirds, helping working families who are juggling the cost of food, gas, and housing. Thirty percent of the funding will support families in rural communities. The funds are being distributed in partnership with the Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence.
The new Child Care Provider Search Tool allows families to search for childcare based on their specific needs and to see a provider’s availability or openings. They can search by ages accepted, hours of operation, quality rating, languages spoken, types of financial assistance accepted and more.
To learn more, visit https://azchildcaresearch.azdes.gov/s/providersearch.
