The universal ESA starts at kindergarten, and STO scholarships do not cover general preschool, so a three- or four-year-old in a church preschool or Montessori children's house is paid for another way. Three public programs carry most of that load in Maricopa and Pinal counties.
The DES child care subsidy reaches children up to age 12 for families at or below 165 percent of the federal poverty level who are working, in school or in another approved activity. You apply through the A-to-Z Arizona portal, pay a co-pay, and DES pays the provider. There is a waiting list: DES showed 9,152 families and 15,130 children on it as of Oct 9, 2026.
First Things First's Quality First scholarships help low-income working or job-seeking families at programs enrolled in Quality First. The participating programs hand them out first-come, first-served, so call centers directly; Valley of the Sun United Way runs the help line at 1-866-973-0012.
Maricopa County's Early Head Start and Head Start are free for qualifying families with children from six weeks to five years, at more than 40 sites, generally up to 130 percent of the poverty line. Apply online, in person at 1001 W. Southern Ave. in Mesa, or at 602-372-3700. If your preschooler has a disability, see the preschool ESA as well.
57 preschool and kindergarten programs
Combining it with other sources
This source works alongside a school's own discounts and payment plans. The one hard limit in Arizona is that a child cannot hold an ESA and an STO scholarship in the same school year, so each child goes down one path, and siblings may go down different ones. Our funding check lays out the choice for each child.