Maricopa County opens 12,000-square-foot day care center for employees

Maricopa County opened a 12,000-square-foot day care center that can serve up to 56 children and offers county employees a 50% discount on market rates, a county staff member said.

The center, presented at the opening as a benefit for county workers, is designed to lower childcare costs for employees. “It's also 12,000 square feet, which is gonna handle up to a 56 kids, which is just absolutely terrific. And employees here are gonna get 50% off the market rate,” the staff member said.

County staff framed the center as a response to high childcare costs and as part of a multi-year effort. “As we know, childcare expenses are really expensive, and so to have that significant discount will be really valuable for our workers,” the staff member said, adding the project reflected work over “a couple years” by current and previous boards of supervisors.

At the opening the staff member described the facility as attractive and emphasized employee and family benefits. “This is a really big day for Maricopa County. Well, the facility itself, we're very proud of. It's beautiful,” the staff member said. The remarks highlighted both the physical size and capacity of the center and the county’s intent to provide subsidized care for employees.

Details on funding sources, operating hours, eligibility rules for the employee discount and an exact opening date were not specified in the remarks. County staff said the project involved multiple years of work but did not provide a timeline for any future related actions.

County officials did not announce formal votes or additional policy actions during the remarks; the comments were presented as part of the center’s opening.