The Arizona Auditor General released a new report Wednesday that highlights the increasing number of abused and neglected children entering state care.
In February, Greg McKay was appointed as director of the Department of Child Safety. Since then, caseloads have continued to increase along with staff turnover, which many in the child-welfare community suggest is the result of a culture shift within the agency.
Critics say that shift is trending more towards law enforcement and some say that’s an indication of a misguided approach to child services.
Suzanne Schunk, former president of the Arizona chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, said social workers are uniquely qualified to work in child welfare.
“The education actually provides specific skills that actually apply to child welfare that other human service disciplines and even more law enforcement don’t have that kind of training and skills," Schunk said.
Schunk also works for Southwest Human Development, a nonprofit that contracts with DCS to provide services for families. She’s worked in child welfare for 35 years in Maryland and Arizona.
“There is much stronger flavor now on punitive methods,” Schunk said. “Making parents pay for what they did and holding parents liable in a lot of ways.”
KJZZ has spoken with multiple former DCS managers who have elected to remain anonymous because of fear of retaliation. They claim Director Greg McKay leads through fear and that’s translated into how caseworkers now interact with families. They said there is rising pressure to remove children from homes, as opposed to less drastic measures.
About 12 percent more children are living in out-of-home care now as compared to the same reporting period last year.
Schunk recognizes the need to remove children in certain circumstances.
“The power will be there regardless, but it doesn’t have to be the emphasis and the main thrust or a threat that is talked about,” said Schunk. “That’s the difference we hear frequently.”
DCS spokesman Doug Nick said the department is aware of its purpose as a child-welfare agency and points out Director McKay has taken steps to prevent a law enforcement culture. Shortly after his appointment, he dissolved the Office of Special Investigations, which employed many former police officers.
“He dismantled that almost immediately because he realized, A., they don’t have a legal purpose here, and B., the money and the resources that office consumed could be far better used looking at child abuse and neglect," said Nick.
The Office of Special Investigations was the arm of the agency that conducted internal investigations. In fact, McKay was at the center of one of those investigations in his previous role with the Office of Child Welfare Investigations, but he was found not to have committed any wrongdoing.
Nick said the agency has an Office of Quality Improvement, which meets the state legal requirement of an internal inspections bureau. He also said the director is looking to implement some new training.
“We would like to look at some curricula that those who become post certified use,” said Nick, referring to the training program police officers go through. “They may not have enough background in that area now, so we are looking at bolstering that — and helping these casework investigators and have that robust law enforcement background is important.”
“I think that there’s a conflict,” said Democratic State Sen. Debbie McCune Davis, a member of the Child Safety Oversight Committee. “I think that there are folks who look at it through a law enforcement lens who think that there are solutions in that approach.”
McCune Davis said she thinks the agency is still in chaos and hasn’t seen data that indicates progress.
“The agency had reported data on a monthly basis in the past,” she said. “Now it’s sort of coming out a little bit at a time. It’s really not what we need to know the condition of the agency.”
Workers report ongoing caseloads that are nearly double state standards. According to the Department of Administration, 280 people left DCS between February and June of this year. As of last month, the agency had 477 vacant positions.
Director McKay plans to release a strategic plan Thursday afternoon that identifies goals and objectives for the agency.
