Arizona Department of Economic Security
Your Partner for a Stronger Arizona
English Arabic French Persian Spanish Swahili Ukrainian Vietnamese

Main menu

Arizona Education Workforce Scholarship Program

Teacher Child Care

Safe and affordable child care options for parents are a necessity to ensure Arizona’s educators have the support to continue to provide high quality education and learning for Arizona’s children.

The Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) Arizona Education Workforce Scholarship Program supports parents working in the fields of child care and publicly funded Pre-K through 12th grade schools and publicly funded charter schools. 

The application period has now closed, effective January 31, 2024. Scholarship disbursement is planned to run through June 30, 2024, pending available funding.

For additional child care related resources and support for families, please visit the Division of Child Care main page or Arizona Child Care Resource & Referral.

Parent Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What were the qualifying job classifications?

Publicly Funded Pre-K-12 Schools: includes teachers, educators, assistants, and support Staff from publicly funded Pre-K-12 schools, including publicly funded charter schools that provide direct care and ancillary support to children or whose critical job functions cannot be completed remotely.

Licensed and Certified Child Care: includes employees such as teachers, assistants, and other staff that provide direct care and ancillary support to children or whose critical job functions cannot be completed remotely. This includes Head Start and Early Head Start providers and staff.

My application was denied. What is the appeals process?

If your application was denied and you wish to appeal, please send an email requesting an appeal to [email protected] within 10 calendar days of your denial notification. Enter APPEAL REQUEST in the subject line, and include a detailed description of your reason for the appeal. DES has 5 business days to review your appeal and respond with a final decision.

I received a child care scholarship. What should I do next?

Please note that the scholarship can only be used for children ages Birth through age 12 at an approved child care provider within the DES child care provider network.

Once an approval is received by mail, child care use can begin. At this point the provider has also received the approval authorization.

When you enroll with the child care provider or center, please make sure that your child care provider completes the Provider/Parent/Guardians Agreement (CC-208) based on the Certificate of Authorization to determine whether you will be responsible for any additional charges, if applicable. Please note that while there is no copayment for this scholarship program, there may be applicable fees upon enrollment and out-of-pocket expenses for you.

What are the additional charges?

Additional charges are any fees a child care provider charges that exceed the DES reimbursement rate, such as registration fees. The scholarship recipients are responsible for payment of all additional charges.

I made a mistake when I was filling out my application for child care (need to add another child, change provider, change my employer, or change my contact information, etc.). How can I fix it?

To make a change to your application, please provide written details in an email and send to [email protected], or contact your local office or assigned worker by phone.

If parents use the Arizona Education Workforce scholarship, will it impact their taxes at the end of the year?

The State of Arizona cannot give tax advice. Please contact the Internal Revenue Service or your tax professional to discuss your personal tax situation.

Child Care Provider FAQs

What does it mean to be a Child Care provider with a family participating in the Arizona Education Workforce Scholarship program?

Parents participating in the Arizona Education Workforce (AEW) Scholarship program must select a DES contracted/certified provider.

If your organization is a contracted DES licensed facility, group home, or a DES certified family child care provider, your organization is automatically eligible to provide this essential child care service.

Note: Please ensure your details are up to date with your Licensing Surveyor, or by contacting Child Care Resource and Referral at 1-800-308-9000 or email [email protected].

A parent came to my center wanting to enroll their child who has been approved for the Arizona Education Workforce scholarship. Can I accept the child’s enrollment?

Arizona Education Workforce scholarships are reimbursable to all DES child care facilities, group homes, and DES certified family child care providers starting 4/1/23 and ending on 6/30/24. For all authorized scholarships, DES providers will receive authorization from DES. Please email [email protected] with questions regarding authorizations.

I received a verbal authorization for an Arizona Education Workforce scholarship, and a parent came in to enroll their child. What should I do next?

The provider will receive a verbal authorization by phone and a mailed letter of authorization. Once the verbal authorization is given with a start date, the child can start attending the child care facility. This information is critical in establishing the authorization for services and reimbursement.

The applicant parent will receive approval of their authorization by mail. Child care providers cannot charge the family a co-payment for child care services. Parents have been informed that providers may charge additional fees such as the difference between the reimbursement rate and the provider rate.

I have children enrolled in my program with an Arizona Education Workforce scholarship. When will I receive reimbursement?

Regular DES billing practices are in place. Child care providers are required to maintain accurate completion of child attendance on sign-in/sign-out forms, and retention of sign-in/sign-out forms in accordance with DES policy.

  • You will be reimbursed at the current DES reimbursement rate for approved children.
  • Scholarship reimbursement will be based on actual utilization.
  • Parents will not have a co-payment, but will have to pay the difference between the DES provider reimbursement rate and the rate charged by the provider.

Arizona Education Workforce (AEW) scholarships authorized to a provider will be listed on their DES billing form. Providers must complete their DES billing form with actual utilization for all DES clients or AEW scholarship recipients.

My facility information and/or hours have recently changed. What should I do?

Please notify the Division of Child Care Provider Network & Support Administration at:

  • DES Contracted - DHS Licensed Centers and Group Homes: Division of Child Care State Licensing Survey or email [email protected]; or
  • DES Certified Family Child Care Homes and Non-Certified Relative Providers: Division of Child Care Certification Survey or email [email protected].

Are providers that are not contracted with DES eligible to accept the Arizona Education Workforce scholarship and be reimbursed for payment?

No, only DES contracted licensed centers, group homes, and DES certified family child care providers are eligible to accept Arizona Education Workforce scholarships. For information on how to become an DES provider, please visit Child Care.

Is a child care provider allowed to opt out of accepting families who are seeking child care through the Arizona Education Workforce scholarship?

No, as a contracted DES provider you cannot opt out to accept families who receive the Arizona Education Workforce scholarship. If the provider has questions or concerns about the reimbursement rate for the scholarship, they should contact:

  • DES Contracted - DHS Licensed Centers and Group Homes: Division of Child Care State Licensing Surveyor or email [email protected]; or
  • DES Certified Family Child Care Homes and Non-Certified Relative Providers: Division of Child Care Certification Surveyor or email [email protected].

What format should sign-in forms be in? Is electronic tracking acceptable?

All DES child care providers should follow the current Record Keeping Requirements from the Provider Registration Agreement.

Am I able to claim the 5 Paid Absences for the Arizona Education Workforce (AEW) Scholarship?

Regular DES billing practices are in place. Child care providers are required to maintain accurate completion of child attendance on sign-in/sign-out forms, and retention of sign-in/sign-out forms in accordance with DES policy. Providers should follow the policy on paid absences as required in their Provider Registration Agreement.

General Questions

Are Arizona Education Workforce scholarship reimbursements retroactive to the start of the program?

Scholarship reimbursements are effective the date of the application. If you have additional questions, please email [email protected].

How long will the Arizona Education Workforce Scholarship program be available?

Applications for the Arizona Education Workforce Scholarship Program were available starting April 1, 2023 through January 31, 2024. The scholarship program ends effective June 30, 2024. Scholarships will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis to eligible applicants, and are dependent upon capacity and resources available. We will strive to provide as much notice as possible to any changes in the program status.

Does the Arizona Education Workforce Scholarship cover any annual registration fees or does the parent separately pay that?

No, the Arizona Education Workforce Scholarship does not cover any annual registration fees. Clients will have to pay the difference between the reimbursement rate and the provider rate or any other additional fees. For additional information on scholarship reimbursement rates please see the forms online: Maximum Reimbursement Rates for Child Care (CCA-1227A) - English and Maximum Reimbursement Rates for Child Care (CCA-1227A-S) - Spanish.

If a scholarship recipient moves or wants to switch to another child care facility for another reason, will their scholarship transfer to another location?

Yes, the scholarship can be transferred or reassigned to another DES care provider. The parent will need to notify the Division of Child Care and indicate the new provider's information by email at [email protected]. The parent can also contact their assigned worker and report the change. Please note the date the change request is submitted will be the effective date of this change.

Back to Top