RFGA2026-008 - Bright Futures AZ

The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), through its Office of Strategic Initiatives, has released a Request for Grant Applications (RFGA) under the Bright Futures AZ initiative. This funding opportunity, designated RFGA2026-008, is part of Governor Katie Hobbs’s child care initiative designed to improve the affordability, accessibility, and quality of child care services for working families throughout Arizona. The initiative is funded through one-time allocations from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) via the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, administered under an Interagency Service Agreement with the Office of the Governor. Through this program, ADHS seeks to strengthen the state’s early childhood care infrastructure, enhance the capacity of in-home child care providers, and support the workforce that delivers early learning and developmental services. Bright Futures AZ aims to increase the number of child care providers and maintain available child care slots across the state. It emphasizes building a sustainable network of in-home child care providers through training, education, and resource support, thereby expanding opportunities for small business ownership in the child care sector. Grantees will be expected to use the funding to support both active and prospective in-home child care providers by providing direct business development assistance and operational resources. Eligible applicants include not-for-profit organizations, tribal entities, state and local governments, and Federally Qualified Health Centers, all located within Arizona. Organizations must demonstrate capacity to deliver support services to early childhood providers and align with ADHS’s operational and reporting requirements. Applicants will be required to submit a detailed budget using Attachment I – Budget Workbook, outlining proposed costs and adherence to allowable spending categories. Matching funds are not required. Approximately $2,500,000 in total program funding is available for multiple awards, with allocations expected to continue through September 2026. ADHS reserves the right to partially award funds based on service coverage needs, efficiency of budget utilization, and compliance with grant terms. Funding amounts per grantee will vary and are subject to adjustment based on performance and available resources. Applications open on October 3, 2025, and close on November 14, 2025. A pre-application conference will be held virtually on October 17, 2025, via Google Meet. Interested applicants are encouraged to attend for guidance on submission procedures and eligibility. Completed applications must be submitted to ADHS by the stated deadline. For more information, applicants can contact Michelle Fink, CPPB, Procurement Officer Senior, at michelle.fink@azdhs.gov or 480-521-2700. The program is administered from ADHS’s headquarters at 150 N. 18th Avenue, Suite 530, Phoenix, Arizona 85007.

Ensure budget alignment with eligible cost categories and submit all forms by deadline; attendance at the pre-application conference is encouraged for clarifications.