New Children’s Action Alliance CEO passionate about public service
January Contreras never forgets a face. The new CEO of Children’s Action Alliance, one of the most respected nonpartisan groups in Arizona, still vividly remembers the constituents in crisis she has served, ranging from small business owners crushed by health care costs to grandparents caregiving for loved ones struggling with substance abuse.
Build Back Better has gaps in child care funding
The pandemic has exposed many inequities in American life. Access to affordable child care is chief among them.
6 ways Congress can fight for recovery from pandemic now
By Valley of the Sun United Way It’s clear the coronavirus has had a devastating impact on workers, families and businesses in Maricopa County and across Arizona. Our community is... […]
Scramble over rising revenues begins – save it or spend it
After four years of painful slashing, a steady uptick in state revenues could lead to a budget showdown the public hasn’t seen since the heydays of Arizona’s economy — what to do with “surplus” money.
Cash war: State’s projected surplus will bring new budget skirmishes
For a state that has been grappling with a multibillion-dollar deficit for four years, news of a potential revenue surplus is like a few drops of rain after a long drought.
Goldwater Institute takes aim at Department of Health Services low-fat milk standard
The Goldwater Institute is known for its high-profile maneuvers, like challenging a part of the Clean Elections system and derailing the potential sale of the Phoenix Coyotes hockey team. But showing that it can tackle even seemingly benign state regulations, the watchdog group is now taking aim at the Department of Health Services for asking day care centers to serve low-fat milk.
New state rules promote physical activity, nutrition at child care centers
Provisions encouraging at least an hour of physical activity per day are part of a revamped set of state rules for child care centers that went into effect Sept. 30.
UpClose with Bruce Liggett
Armed with fact sheets and graphs, Bruce Liggett laid out his case: He understands that child care can’t be spared from budget cuts, but he argues that investing in child care pays off.
The broken promise of welfare reform
The swift and sweeping process used to enact historic state budget cuts has hidden major policy shifts affecting the state’s safety net for families with children. Virtually overnight, our elected officials gutted programs and policies developed with conscientious public debate, careful deliberation and clear purpose. At a time when Arizona has lost 315,000 jobs – an 11.6 percent reduction in[...]