A surge in federal pandemic aid helped Arizona finally stabilize its early childhood education system. Now, providers are bracing for cuts that could reverse those gains as that money dries up. In just four years, early childhood education funding increased by nearly $1 billion — from $727 million during the 2018-19 school year to over $1.6 billion in 2022-23. It has since dropped to $1.2 billion in the 2024-25 school year and is expected to decline further.