Arizona Foster System Under Fire

More and more states are examining their foster care system, and the latest agency under the microscope is the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS). At public hearings recently, foster parents and some state legislators argued that there are not enough checks and balances in place, potentially leading to the abuse of these children.

The DCS narrowly survived a vote considering whether to disband it. The legislature ultimately opted to fund the agency for four more years. Legislators did express expectations that the agency will make  significant changes based on multiple audits by the Arizona Auditor General. 

The latest audit report highlighted numerous issues within the DCS. Most of them seem to boil down to the usual challenges faced by overburdened and undertrained caseworkers. These caseworkers often find themselves juggling the competing directives of family reunification and child safety. These problems are not unique to Arizona but are common to foster care systems across the country.

There are no easy solutions as states try to deal with these challenges. Most experts agree we need more adequate resources and support for caseworkers, ensuring they receive the necessary training, and implementing effective supervision and oversight mechanisms.  Those solutions, however, require tax dollars that often are in short supply.  We are seeing glimmers here and there of more efficient systems that encourage caring caseworkers, rather than burning them out, but so far we are still at the stage of simply identifying the problem.