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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
DCS; training; child placement; management
Purpose
Modifies Department of Child Safety (DCS) oversight, audit and placement procedures and establishes training requirements for child safety workers.
Background
The Auditor General must establish an audit team located in DCS to provide ongoing performance reviews and analyses. Pursuant to an audit plan reviewed by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC), the audit team may: 1) determine the validity and accuracy of information reported by DCS to the Legislature; 2) perform other reviews and analyses relating to DCS; and 3) review a specific DCS function or process (A.R.S. § 8-465).
DCS must employ
child safety workers and require all persons employed as child safety workers
to have a valid fingerprint clearance card or apply for a fingerprint clearance
card within seven working days after employment. All child safety workers must
be trained and demonstrate competency in: 1) the duty to protect the legal
rights of children and families from the time of the initial contact through
treatment, including knowledge of a child's rights as a victim of crime;
2) the legal rights of parents; and 3) impact and intervention practices
related to adverse childhood experiences, culturally and linguistically
appropriate service delivery, domestic violence, family engagement,
communication with special populations and trauma informed responses (A.R.S.
§ 8-802)
Statute dictates how DCS must facilitate placement of a child when the child cannot remain safely in the home. DCS may place a child with a parent, relative or person with a significant relationship with the child, subject to safety checks and background requirements, and must evaluate the suitability of the placement and available services to support the child and caregiver (A.R.S. § 8-514.02)
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Allows an audit team, acting under an audit plan reviewed by JLBC, to review DCS's management of the case management system used to track the placement and location of children in DCS care, including data accuracy and system errors.
2. Allows DCS to conduct unannounced visits and inspections of any licensed group foster home or home where a child in the care and custody of DCS is placed in a kinship foster care setting.
3. Deems the placement of a child by DCS with a parent, relative or person with a significant relationship with the child to be the priority placement for the child.
4. Requires DCS to require each newly hired child safety worker to spend at least one year working and training under the supervision of an experienced child safety worker.
5. Makes technical and conforming changes.
6. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 16, 2026
MM/SDR/hk