Main menu

Child Care

Español

a group of children running in a field of flowers

Important Information

COVID-19 Updates and FAQs

CCA is Expanding its Virtual Services

Virtual Workforce Services Available

Access DES programs from home. View how to contact and get the services you need.

Notice of Changes to Child Care Provider Background Checks Effective August 25, 2020

View new changes to Child Care Provider Background Checks

The Child Care Administration (CCA) provides child care assistance to eligible families who participate in employment activities and specific education and training activities related to employment by providing financial support intended to offset a portion of child care costs. This financial support allows families better access to high-quality, early care and education settings for their children. Child care assistance is also available for children who are involved with the Department of Child Safety due to child abuse or neglect, and families with children experiencing homelessness.

Arizona’s child care and early childhood education system are interconnected across the services and supports provided by community organizations, and state or federally funded programs like DES and the Child Care Administration. Partners include the Department of Health Services, First Things First, the Department of Child Safety, Head Start and Early Head Start, and the Department of Education and local school districts who provide preschool education and before and after school programs for children.

Families

Apply for child care assistance

The DES Child Care Administration (CCA) offers child care assistance for:

low-income families that are working
teen parents enrolled in high school or GED classes
homeless or domestic violence shelter residents
individuals who are unable to work due to physical or emotional conditions

Documents Center for Families - search for reports, forms, policies and pamphlets and posters with information about child care programs and services.

Providers

The Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) oversees certification of family child care providers to care for up to four children in their home. View more information on becoming a certified family child care provider.

The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), Office of Child Care Licensing certifies group homes - family home child care providers who care for 5 to 10 children in their home. In order to provide care to DES qualified children, group homes must be contracted with DES and be certified by ADHS.

ADHS also licenses child care centers - child care providers who care for 10 or more children at a location separate from their residence. In order to provide care to DES qualified children, child care centers must be contracted with DES and be licensed by ADHS. For more information, contact the ADHS Office of Child Care Licensing.

Publications and documents for Child Care Providers

Announcements

COVID-19 and CARES Act Updates

The maximum child care reimbursement rates for the majority of SFY 2020 were the same as the rates for SFY 2019, which reflected the greater of either the 50th percentile of the 2010 Market Rate Survey or the 25th percentile of the 2018 Market Rate Survey. DES continues to provide the tiered reimbursement incentive payment for the DES contracted child care providers that meet the state-approved quality indicator to further support enhanced quality of child care services within their programs. In April 2020, the Arizona Enrichment Centers Program (AECP) was introduced to assist frontline essential workers with their child care needs, and it provided assistance throughout the rest of the SFY 2020.

In SFY 2020, the Department had an average of 56,393 children authorized for child care each month and reimbursed child care providers a total of $229.3 million in child care assistance.

During SFY 2020, Arizona received $88 million in supplemental Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) discretionary funds to support Arizona’s child care system through the federal CARES Act. With these funds, in SFY 2020, CCA created and administered:

$47 million in grant funds to help all regulated child care providers with operational costs to safely remain open or reopen and preserve access to child care for Arizona’s families. Incentive funding was provided for rural communities, quality providers, and new DES contracted providers.
$24 million in support of the Arizona Enrichment Center Program that provides priority child care for children of healthcare workers, first responders, and essential workers.
$7 million to increase the number of paid absences from 2 to 5 days for DES contracted child care providers, encouraging parents to keep children home if they are exhibiting flu-like symptoms.

Remaining funds will be maintained as reserve funding to address unforeseen needs as the state safely reopens.

In December 2020, the federal government passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act-2021, providing $10 billion to state, territory, and tribal CCDF lead agencies for CCDF to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19. Funding must be spent by September 2023. Arizona’s allocation is $254 million and will be utilized to continue to support families seeking child care assistance and to assure child care providers are able to remain open or reopen.

In all, the federal COVID-19 relief funding through both the CARES Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act-2021 have provided crucial support for Arizona’s economy, allowing local businesses and families to continue or return to work and helping child care providers and the child care workforce to maintain their businesses and employment.

Additional Resources

popup link

Leave this empty

Pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other nondiscrimination laws and authorities, ADES does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. Persons that require a reasonable modification based on language or disability should submit a request as early as possible to ensure the State has an opportunity to address the modification. The process for requesting a reasonable modification can be found at Equal Opportunity and Reasonable Modification.

Search form