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Critics worry proposed rules could make it difficult to hold child safety agency accountable
Hoping to halt its ever-growing backlog of cases, the Department of Child Safety wants to adopt new rules for what constitutes an investigation.
Senate president disappointed in audit that recommended more money for child safety
To improve the outcomes for Arizona children who are wards of the state, Senate President Andy Biggs wants officials to take a closer look at what requires the state to intervene in families’ lives in the first place.
Lawmaker wants DCS to require more protections for children
A state legislator is calling for the Arizona Department of Child Safety to keep high risk cases open longer after reunification and to reopen old cases when new allegations arise.
12 years and counting: Child safety backlog continues to grow
On May 28, the director of the state Department of Child Safety acknowledged that backlogs are growing again at the agency. Greg McKay told a legislative oversight committee that the number of hotline reports the agency receives each month is greater than the number of reports the staff can close.
Backlogs growing again at child safety agency, director says
The head of the state's child welfare agency wants to scrap laws and rules that require caseworkers to do a full investigation of every complaint of child neglect.
Lawmaker wants testing for parents of drug-exposed babies
An Arizona lawmaker on Thursday called for changes in state law to allow ongoing testing of parents whose babies are born exposed to drugs after a child who was returned to her parents died of apparent abuse.
Attorney says secret child welfare investigations violate parents’ rights
An attorney who represents parents whose children are wards of the state said the Office of Child Welfare Investigations keeps its reports secret, making it difficult for parents to defend themselves, violating their rights and blurring the line between police and social work.
Former DCS head says Brnovich made decision to bar married gay couples from adopting
The former head of the state’s child safety agency said Monday it was Attorney General Mark Brnovich and not he who precipitated a February decision to stop allowing married gay couples to jointly adopt or become foster parents.
Ducey says DCS transition led to lack of info on foster policy
Gov. Doug Ducey attributed his lack of information about a change in policy at the Department of Child Safety, which in February barred married same-sex couples from jointly fostering or adopting children, to the transition between ousted Director Charles Flanagan and his successor, Greg McKay.
Top Child Safety official leaves job after two months
A Department of Child Safety deputy director handpicked by Gov. Doug Ducey left the agency today after two months on the job and moved to another state position.
McKay says order to ‘stop assigning cases’ not a change in policy
Department of Child Safety Director Greg McKay said a message to his staff in which he stated that certain child abuse cases would go unassigned was meant to inspire but was not a policy change.
New child safety director describes plans to improve care
The Department of Child Safety’s new director outlined plans on March 23 to turn around Arizona’s ailing child welfare services in front of a legislative committee.
