• Minimum wage requirement likely to increase daycare costs

    Source: Tucson News Now Friday, December 30th 2016 TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) – Starting Sunday, Arizona’s new minimum wage law will go into effect. It’s a result of Prop 206 which voters passed back in November. Thursday, the Arizona Supreme Court declined to block the business community’s efforts to postpone it. That means it’s likely parents of young children will have to plan to reach deeper into their pockets to pay for daycare. Bill Berk, a board member of the Arizona Child Care Association, has talked to several preschool centers that will be greatly impacted by this, including his…

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  • Childcare pays poverty-level wage, but Arizona still tops most states

    Source: Veronica Acosta | Cronkite News Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016 Image credit: Cronkite News WASHINGTON – Arizona childcare workers were paid less, on average, than parking lot attendants, manicurists and pedicurists in 2015, part of a national trend that saw workers in all states earning salaries that could qualify them for food stamps. And Arizona’s median salary of $20,070 last year for childcare workers was not even the worst in the nation – in fact, it ranked ahead of 30 other states and Puerto Rico, according to the recent report by the U.S. departments of Education and Health and Human…

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  • New Requirements for DES Certified Family Home Providers

    By June 30, 2016, ALL DES Certified Family Child Care Home Providers must attend the DES Pre-Service Health & Safety Training Series per federal requirements. To verify you’ve received the training, you must become a member of Arizona Early Childhood Workforce Registry. Sign up for the Registry online by visiting azregistry.org.  Your registry identification number will be required to attend the series. Your identification number is a XXX-XXX-XXX format. To Register for a series in the Registry: 1. Go the Arizona Early Childhood Workforce Registry’s website at: www.azregistry.org 2. Login in to your account, or if you do not have…

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  • Report: Child care costs rival in-state college tuition in Arizona

    Source: Danika Worthington | Cronkite News Monday, May 16, 2016 Image credit: Cronkite News WASHINGTON – Infant child care in Arizona costs an average of $9,437 a year, rivaling in-state college tuition and putting care out of reach for many families, according to a recent Economic Policy Institute report. And Arizona’s costs were on the low end when compared to the rest of the nation, with infant care costs in Washington, D.C., reaching $22,631 annually. The numbers were unsurprising to early child care advocates. “It is hard everywhere, because we don’t make the commitment to child care that we really…

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  • ‘Don’t Leave Me Behind’ Campaign Reminds Drivers About Kids, Pets In Hot Cars

    The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office launched of a campaign Thursday to remind drivers not to leave kids and pets in hot cars. The “Don’t Leave Me Behind” campaign will include mobile billboards and PSAs, among other efforts. Executive Director Erin Raden talks with KJZZ.

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