Childcare Resources for Essential Public Sector Employees
ARIZONA — Arizona’s front line workers play a critical role in the response to COVID-19. To ensure Arizona’s first responders, critical healthcare workers, and essential public sector employees have the support they need to continue combatting COVID-19, the Governor’s office has partnered with local child care providers, nonprofit, education, and faith-based organizations to offer child care through Arizona Enrichment Centers.
Child care registration is now open for the state’s critical frontline employees to seek priority care for their children.
Priority Care Eligibility:
COVID-19 critical frontline personnel are persons who work in “categories of essential functions that ensure the delivery of healthcare and
essential governmental operations.” Executive Order 2020-12 defines Essential Government Functions as “all services provided by the State or any county, city, town or political subdivision thereof and needed to ensure the continuing operation of the government agencies or to provide for or support the health, safety and welfare of the public.” Thus, a significant number of Yavapai County employees might qualify for Arizona Child Enrichment Center assistance.
Eligible employees can follow the steps below to find out if they qualify and register for care:
- Find a child care provider near you by going to the Arizona Enrichment Centers Website (https://arizonaenrichmentcenters.az.gov/find-care). If you have children 12 years of age and younger, you can access child care through licensed childcare providers across the state. There is also a list of unlicensed community care providers also offering care for children, including youth 13 years of age and up.
- Register for priority child care eligibility and financial support by filling out this registration form (https://arizonaenrichmentcenters.az.gov/qualify). If you qualify for care, you will be guided to the appropriate resources to locate care options. The registration tool will also determine if you qualify for a child care financial scholarship. If so, you will be provided a letter of verification indicating your financial scholarship, which you will also need to provide to the licensed child care provider.
Please keep in mind that child care will be provided for eligible employees on a first come, first served basis.
The Arizona Enrichment Centers website is a resource for all families, regardless of employer. It is essential that child care is available so that first responders and emergency teams can continue to go to work and serve the community during the state of emergency. As enrollment progresses, we will continue to assess capacity and demand–and work with partners to expand capacity and eligibility to provide continued support for front line workers.
If child care space becomes oversubscribed at any point, the State of Arizona will need to prioritize families being served, and it may result in the loss of child care slots at any facility. Families should work to have a secondary plan should an Arizona Enrichment Center be required to close or reduce their capacity due to evolving circumstances.
If you have any questions, please reach out to arzenrichmentcenters@az.gov.
Category: Child Welfare, Programs
