State Profile | Arizona

The Afterschool Investments project has developed profiles for each state to provide a snapshot of the "state of afterschool," as well as an opportunity to compare afterschool activities across the country. This profile provides key data and descriptions of the afterschool landscape, which includes a range of out-of-school time programming that can occur before and after school, on weekends, and during summer months. It is designed to serve as a resource for policymakers, administrators, and providers.

• Quick Facts
• Statewide Initiatives
• Notable Local Initiatives
• Statewide Organizations
• Additional Resources
• Notes and Sources

Quick Facts

Demographics

For more demographic information, visit http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/statepro/index.html

Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)

CCDF Administrative Overview

Settings

Where CCDF-Subsidy school age-children are served:

Uses of CCDF Targeted Funds and Quality Dollars for Afterschool

"Resource and referral and school-age" targeted funds:
Funds may be used for divisions within the Governor’s Office for Children, Youth and Families (GOCYF) to collaborate with and provide resources to community groups who serve students between the age of school readiness and high school. Funds may also be used for the "Phone Friend" program, an after-school bilingual phone service for children who are home alone. The program allows for trained counselors to assist children with homework, problem solving, and non-emergency situations. The program also provides home and internet safety trainings.

Other quality activities:
Funds may be used for comprehensive consumer education, grants or loans to providers to assist in meeting state and local standards, and to monitor licensing and regulatory requirements. They can also be used for professional development, improving childcare providers’ salaries, activities promoting inclusive childcare, activities which increase parental choice, and for youth focused health programs.

Provider Reimbursement Rates

Tiered Reimbursement Rate System:
The DES Enhanced Rate for Accredited Programs is designed to make higher quality (accredited) child care slots available to DES subsidized children whose parents may not be able to afford this care and to encourage providers to become accredited.  This allows children whose parents are eligible for child care subsidies to enroll in programs providing higher quality of care by reimbursing nationally accredited providers 10% higher than the DES maximum rates.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Care

Program Licensing Policies

Exemptions apply to a unit of the public school system, including specialized professional services provided by school districts for the sole purpose of meeting mandated requirements to address physical and mental impairments.

Systems/Quality Supports

21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC)

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Statewide Initiatives

• The Arizona Statewide Youth Development Task Force. The task force is working to build a comprehensive framework for youth development that will support the positive development of youth and the successful transition from youth to adulthood. This framework will work to bridge the systems that serve youth (government, community-based organizations, philanthropy, business and others) to build a comprehensive continuum of learning opportunities (both in school and out), to identify funding that would support these opportunities, and to focus on the developmental needs of youth.
• Quality Programs Initiative. In 1999, the Governor’s Office for Children, Youth, and Families, using funds transferred from the Arizona Department of Economic Security’s (DES) Child Care Administration, began contracting a portion of Child Care and Development Fund quality dollars to the Arizona School-Age Coalition, now the Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence (AzCASE), to enhance the quality of school-age programs throughout the state. The Quality Programs Initiative works to improve quality through the following activities: 1) training and technical assistance to help programs improve quality and move toward accreditation standards; 2) collaboration and planning activities for school-age stakeholders at the state and program levels; 3) needs assessment at the state level and development of tools to help community leaders gauge local demand for afterschool programs; 4) public awareness activities, including public service announce-ments and increased web-based information; and 5) recognition of afterschool leaders through various annual awards programs.
• Statewide Strategic Planning and Network for Afterschool .In 2000, the Arizona School Age Coalition (AzSAC), now the Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence (AzCASE), brought together a variety of state and local representatives to develop a five-year strategic plan for out-of-school time in Arizona. Attendees representing state policymakers, state agencies, tribes, foundations, children’s advocacy groups, and afterschool programs formed the Arizona Out-of-School Time Network that now meets six times a year to revise and implement the strategic plan. The strategic plan was revised in 2004.  Additional stakeholders, including the child care resource and referral agencies, educational associations, faith-based leaders, youth development programs, additional municipal representatives, and universities have joined the Network. In 2003, the Network received funding from the C.S. Mott Foundation to further its efforts to expand the quality and quantity of afterschool programs throughout the state. In 2007, AzSAC re-organized as the Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence and continues to be the state’s National AfterSchool Association affiliate and provides technical assistance to program providers, hosts an annual conference on afterschool, and has established afterschool resource centers at regional libraries.  AzCASE also provides grants to seven Regional Coalitions, which provide networking for staff and administrators, training and regional conferences. 
  
  For more information, see www.azafterschool.org

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Notable Local Initiatives

• Youth Count, Youth Volunteer Corps and the Yavapai County VISTA Project. These programs have been providing AmeriCorps opportunities in Yavapai County for more than six years. Their efforts have resulted in the many successful projects including the Teen Maze, MATForce and the Substance Abuse Coalition, the Prescott Area Winter Shelter, Kinship Care Services with Arizona’s Children Association and the Area Agency on Aging/NACOG and the Rocket Reader Program.  In 2008, the programs are looking to fill six new Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) positions and are requesting eight more AmeriCorp positions in the county. These highly-qualified volunteers work to create and implement new and current service programs across the county.
• Mohave County Afterschool Alliance/Kingman Kids Task Force.  This organization formed in 2006 with the vision of helping all children and youth in Kingman and throughout Mohave County have the opportunity to enroll in quality, safe programs during out-of-school time. The mission is to educate and mobilize the community around the needs of local children and youth during afterschool time. The Kingman Kids Task Force has four service goals: to support existing afterschool programs, to work with faith-based programs to enhance services, to create and publish a resource directory twice a year and to explore the development of a community center.
• KIDCO/Out-of-School Task Force. The task force recently developed under the direction of Tucson Councilwoman Regina Romero to research adding a creative curriculum/educational component to the city of Tucson’s popular afterschool recreation program, KIDCO. The task force objective is to work with families to develop additional program benefits that show measurable improvement/success in the fields of physical fitness, language, math and science and provide homework assistance.
• Phoenix Activity City (PAC). This citywide program delivers recreation, education, and enrichment for elementary school-age children. In 1999, the Phoenix Mayor and City Council pledged to expand the decades-old program to all willing schools in Phoenix so that every interested child can participate free of charge. By 2001, the city expanded its offering with an investment of over $4 million to 166 school sites throughout the various school districts. Currently, Phoenix spends over $60 million in city, state and federal funds on afterschool programs that serve 30,000 to 50,000 children.
• Copper Canyon High School Youth Development Program. A collaborative partnership effort between the City of Glendale Parks and Recreation Department, Tolleson Union High School District, Phoenix Coyotes and Aramark professional food services created a comprehensive youth development program on the Copper Canyon High School campus. Over 300 teens registered to participate in the first year of operation last school year. This partnership enhances the current Sports Medicine and Culinary Arts Programs for Copper Canyon High School, and introduces a Public Safety and Tourism/Entertainment Industry Training Program. The program boasts an array of free activities including hip hop dance troupes, disk jockey training, and young men's and women's support groups.   

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Statewide Organizations

National AfterSchool Association Affiliate:

The Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence
700 W. Campbell Ave., Suite 3
Phoenix, AZ 85013
Phone: 602-279-7100
Email: mmcclintock@azafterschool.org
Web: www.azafterschool.org

Statewide Child Care Resource & Referral Network:

1. Association for Supportive Child Care-Tempe, AZ
   Phone: 602-244-2678
2. Child and Family Resources, Inc-Tucson, AZ
   Phone: 520-325-5778

Toll Free Statewide (Within Arizona): 800-308-9000
Web: http://www.azchildcare.org

Association for Supportive Child Care
3910 South Rural Road, Suite O
Tempe, AZ 85282
Phone: 602-244-2678 or 800-308-9000
Web: http://www.azchildcare.org

Statewide Afterschool Network:

The Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence
700 W. Campbell Ave., Suite 3
Phoenix, AZ 85013
Phone: 602-279-7100
Email: lrice@azafterschool.org
Web: www.azafterschool.org

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Additional Resources

State Child Care Administrators:
http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/dirs/display.cfm?title=ccdf

State TANF Contacts:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/states/tanf-dr.htm

21st Century Community Learning Centers Contacts:
http://www.ed.gov/programs/21stcclc/contacts.html

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Notes and Sources

Demographics

Total population, 2008: Annual Estimates of the Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008, U.S. Census Bureau.

Number of children ages 5-12, 2008: Estimates of the Resident Population by Single-Year of Age and Sex for the United States and States: July 1, 2007, U.S. Census Bureau.

Percent of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch rate, 2006: Numbers and Types of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools from the Common Core of Data: School Year 2005-06. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Note: Most recent data.

Percent of K-12 students in Title I "schoolwide" schools, 2006: Numbers and Types of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools from the Common Core of Data: School Year 2005-06. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Schools enrolling at least 40 percent of students from poor families are eligible to use Title I funds for schoolwide programs that serve all children in the school. Note: Most recent data.

Child Care and Development Fund

The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) is the largest federal funding source for child care. States receive a funding allocation determined by formula and have broad flexibility to design programs that provide child care subsidies for low-income children under the age of 13 and to enhance the quality of child care for all children. Federal CCDF funding consists of mandatory, matching, and discretionary funds. Federal law requires that states spend at least 4 percent of their CCDF funds as well as additional targeted funds on activities to improve the quality and availability of child care. CCDF administrative data in this and the following sections is from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Child Care Bureau, as reported by States, unless otherwise noted.

FFY09 CCDF Allocation: Funding allocations are based on appropriation and do not reflect any reallotted or redistributed funds that may occur at a later date.

FFY09 state MOE plus match: In order to receive Federal matching funds, a state must expend Maintenance of Effort funds. Note that this does not capture actual expenditures, only the minimum required to draw down all available federal funds.

FFY09 Tribal CCDF Allocation: Federal CCDF Funds are awarded directly to Federally-recognized Indian Tribes.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Funding: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) appropriates an additional $2 billion in one-time CCDF Discretionary funding available to State, Territory and Tribal Lead Agencies in FY09 as part of the economic stimulus package.

FFY07 total quality expenditures: This data includes FY07 and prior year funds expended for quality from each of the CCDF funding streams (mandatory, matching, and discretionary) and expenditures under targeted funds for infant and toddler, school-age care and resource and referral. This figure provides information obtained from state financial reports submitted for FY07.

Uses of CCDF Targeted Funds and Quality Dollars for Afterschool: Portions of CCDF discretionary funds are targeted specifically for resource and referral and school-age child care activities as well as for quality expansion. (These funds are in addition to the required 4 percent minimum quality expenditure.)

Maximum rate for school-age category: Rates are listed for center-based care, family child care, and license exempt programs; where rates vary by region or county, the rate for the most populated urban area is given.

Standardized monthly school-age rate: Monthly rate for a child, age 8, in care after school during the school year at a center in the most costly district for four hours per day, 20 days per month. Calculated (in the lowest tier of a tiered system) using information from the FY2008-2009 State CCDF Plan, including rate structures, as submitted to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.

Separate subsidy rates for different age ranges and Tiered Reimbursement Rate Systems: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Child Care Bureau. Report of State Plans FY2008-2009.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Care

In addition to spending TANF funds directly on child care, a state may transfer up to 30 percent of its TANF grant to CCDF. Expenditures represent TANF funds spent in FY07 that were awarded in FY07 and prior years. Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, available at: In addition to spending TANF funds directly on child care, a state may transfer up to 30 percent of its TANF grant to CCDF. Expenditures represent TANF funds spent in FY07 that were awarded in FY07 and prior years. Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, available at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofs/data/2007/tanf_2007.html.

Program Licensing Policies

States with separate school-age licensing standards and states with specialized requirements for child care centers serving school-age children: National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center (NCCIC) and National Association for Regulatory Administration, 2007 Child Care Licensing Study, see: http://www.naralicensing.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=160.

Ratio of children to adults in school-age setting: Data from the National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC), available at: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov.

School-based, school-age programs exempt from licensing: Research conducted by Afterschool Investments, March 2008.

Systems/Quality Supports

School-age credential: NCCIC, State Professional Development System Credentials for Individuals, see: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/poptopics/pd-credentials.html.

Statewide quality rating system: NCCIC, Quality Rating Systems: Definitions and Statewide Systems, see: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/qrs-defsystems.html.

Statewide afterschool network: National Network of Statewide Afterschool Networks, see: http://www.statewideafterschoolnetworks.net/.

21st Century Community Learning Centers

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program is a state formula grant. Funds flow to states based on their share of Title I, Part A funds. Data from the U.S. Department of Education 21st Century Community Learning Centers Office and the 21st CCLC Profile and Performance Information Collection System as of July 2009.

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The Child Care Bureau awarded a technical assistance contract to The Finance Project for the Afterschool Investments project. The goals of the Afterschool Investments project include:

• Identifying ways that state and communities are using Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) subsidy and quality dollars to support out-of-school time programs, and sharing these practices and approaches with other states;
• Identifying administrative and implementation issues related to CCDF investments in out-of-school time programs, and providing information and context (about barriers, problems, opportunities) as well as practical tools that will help CCDF administrators make decisions; and
• Identifying other major programs and sectors that are potential partners for CCDF in supporting out-of-school time programs and providing models, strategies, and tools for coordination with other programs and sectors.

Contact Us:

Email:
afterschool@financeproject.org

Web:
http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/afterschool/

The Finance Project
1401 New York Avenue, NW
Suite 800
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202-587-1000
Web: www.financeproject.org

The Afterschool Investments project's State Profiles are designed to provide a comprehensive overview of noteworthy State and local initiatives across the country. Inclusion of an initiative in the Profiles does not represent an endorsement of a particular policy or practice.