Arizona Out-of-School Time Grant Program

The Arizona Department of Economic Security (ADES) has awarded contract CTR078895 to the Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence (AzCASE), a nonprofit organization, for the Arizona Out-of-School Time (OST) Grant Program. The contract, effective from October 8, 2025, through June 30, 2026, has a total funding allocation of $3,000,000. AzCASE will serve as an intermediary to implement and manage a child care scholarship program targeting children aged 5-12 from households with gross annual incomes of $150,000 or less.

The contract includes multiple scholarship rate tiers for out-of-school time child care, with pricing ranging from $25 to $49 per monthly scholarship. Key program requirements include allocating at least 30% of grant funds to rural communities and reducing child care costs for participating families by at least two-thirds. AzCASE will be responsible for developing an annual grant application process, distributing grants to eligible grantees, and maintaining program and fiscal compliance. The organization will prioritize fifty percent of grant dollars for rural communities and twenty-five percent for other underserved populations, leveraging their extensive experience in managing multi-million dollar federal and state grants.