A new report, to be used at a series of Arizona Town Hall meetings across the state, prominently features the impact of a lack of accessible and affordable child care on workforce recruitment and retention efforts.
Later this year, Arizona Town Hall will host community forums centered on the topic, “Building Arizona’s Workforce.” Each year, the nonprofit organization focuses on engaging people to learn about critical policy issues and develop solutions together. The goal is that their recommendations will inspire and motivate Arizona’s state leaders to respond to the challenges.
Building Arizona’s Workforce Background Report offers an overview of trends through the lens of workforce development or how “workers are being prepared to fill current and future jobs—a process that requires analysis of the necessary skills, knowledge and abilities to be successful.”
“The goal of the town halls is to generate conversation in communities for community-driven solutions,” said First Things First Senior Director of Systems Change Cynthia Pardo. She was a contributing member of the report’s research committee.
“AZ Town Hall brings together diverse stakeholders to have civil dialogue to solve some of Arizona’s most pressing issues in a way that works best in their respective communities,” Pardo said.
The chapter that includes child care acknowledges that “accessible, affordable, and high-quality child care must be available in order for parents to work.” It provides statistics about access and affordability. About half of Arizona residents live in a child care desert, which is defined as areas where there are more than three children under age 5 for every licensed child care slot. It also notes the increasing cost of child care, with infant care in Arizona averaging over $14,000 per year.
“Arizona is in a child care crisis. It is not just a problem for parents and families. It is also taking a toll on businesses, taxpayers and Arizona’s economy,” the report states.
Promising initiatives
The report includes promising initiatives, such as First Things First’s partnership with Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC). FTF, with the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and regional United Way partners (Valley of the Sun, Tucson & Southern Arizona, Northern Arizona and Graham and Greenlee Counties), are partnering with EPIC, which will lead the creation of Arizona-specific child care solutions.
EPIC is a nonprofit organization founded by business leaders to engage with the business community on child care efforts. EPIC helps employers understand the child care needs of their current and prospective workforce and identify and implement solutions that support their employees and their business. After operating solely in Colorado for 15 years, EPIC announced the official launch with Arizona employers and business community partners in 2025.
The report also mentions Gov. Katie Hobbs’ Bright Futures AZ initiative, which seeks to build a child care cost-sharing model for children birth to age 5 to include the State of Arizona, employers and employees. Through this public-private partnership, the state would match employer contributions for child care up to $400 per month per child for eligible families. The initiative is currently being debated as part of state budget negotiations.
“Child care is an essential piece that allows workers to fully participate in the labor market,” Pardo said. More than 60% of young children live in households where all adults work. And working parents are a critical part of the state’s labor supply, there are about 474,000 working parents with children under age 6 in Arizona.
“Solving our state’s child care crisis is essential for families and for businesses to retain employees,” Pardo said. “This report provides the information to talk about this. Everyone needs to collaborate and work together to solve our workforce issues. It’s vital to Arizona’s economic future.”
