PHOENIX — Thousands of Arizona families are still on a waiting list, hoping to get money from the state to help pay for child care. This comes after some investments were made in the state budget to help reduce that waitlist.
A year ago, the Arizona Department of Economic Security started a waitlist for child care subsidies after COVID-era funds ended for child care facilities and families. Since the establishment of the waitlist, the numbers have only grown.
When ABC15 reported on the waitlist in March, more than 2,600 kids were on the waitlist. As of August 8, there are more than 6,700 kids waiting.
In June, the state budget was finalized and signed off by Governor Katie Hobbs, which allocated $81 million to help reduce the waitlist.
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“Having the increase of funding from $12 million last year to over $80 million is monumental. A lot of us honestly didn’t believe it was going to happen. When the budget passed with that, we were all very enthused,” said Kristen Gray, the VP of child care for the Valley of the Sun YMCA.
That money did help 900 kids get off the waiting list. DES said the number of children on the waitlist was initially lower in previous weeks but it increased to more than 6,700 now as more families have applied for child care assistance.
"The $125.9 million in appropriated funds allow the state to continue to support the existing population and a segment of the waiting list throughout FY26 via a network of child care professionals and businesses. The waiting list release announced last month represents only a portion of the overall state investment in child care,” DES wrote in a statement about other money allocated to the department.
Samantha Kick, a mom of a three-year-old girl, finally got off the DES waitlist after waiting for months to get that money. Thankfully, during that time, she told ABC15 she received assistance for her daughter through the YMCA.
“It feels great, it’s a huge relief. My heart still goes out to all the families that are waiting, I know firsthand it’s so hard and so stressful,” Kick said. “Props to them for still sticking it in and I hope their centers work with them like ours did with us.”
