Announcement

Funding for this program is limited, and a waiting list is in place for most families. Eligible families that do not receive Cash Assistance or have not been referred by the Department of Child Safety will be added to a waiting list until funding is available. As of December 12, 2025, there are 6,111 families and 10,351 children on the waiting list. This data will be updated every Friday.

The Child Care Assistance Program helps families pay for quality child care for children under the age of 13 years old so that parents and legal guardians can work, go to school, or participate in other eligible activities. Assistance is also available for children experiencing homelessness and referred by the Arizona Department of Child Safety or a Tribal child welfare program.

If your family is approved for Child Care Assistance, we’ll send your benefits directly to your child care provider. The amount of your benefit is based on how many hours your child is in care and your provider’s rate and may not cover all of your child care costs. You can ask your child care provider how much you can expect to pay.

You can apply for or renew your benefits online through the A-to-Z Arizona portal . Paper applications can be submitted by email at [email protected] , fax, or in person at your local DES office .

Please note: Child Care Assistance and waiting list determination are the same for online and PDF (paper) applications. To prevent any disruption of your application, please only submit one application through A-to-Z or your local DES office. If you are using the PDF (paper) application, you must submit to a local DES office by email at [email protected] , mail, fax, or in person.