Last month, the Chandler Compadres announced a $1 million grant for Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley’s (BGCAZ) Chandler Compadres Branch as part of its 2023-2024 grant cycle. The grant will allow BGCAZ to address transportation challenges in Chandler by outsourcing afterschool transit to private charter companies. As schools struggle to find commercially licensed drivers for school buses and families face limited transportation options, this innovative solution enables BGCAZ to bring almost 250 kids per day to its Chandler Compadres Branch from six different Chandler schools.

Governor Katie Hobbs is taking action to ensure that more children in Arizona have access to affordable, quality child care and school-age programming. First, Governor Hobbs will offer more access and flexibility to families with school-age children (ages 5-12). The Governor has instructed the Department of Health Services (DHS) and the Department of Economic Security (DES) to broaden the types of afterschool, summer, and enrichment programs eligible for licensure by creating a separate child care license for “out-of-school time” programs. This will streamline the process for these programs to accept child care assistance by meeting the high quality standards in the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant.