A new Arizona Auditor General reportsuggested the Arizona Department of Child Safety could improve several practices when permanently placing abused or neglected children in new family settings.
One of the biggest issues was communication with the court system.
Before a child can be reunited with parents DCS is required to provide judges with written court reports and in-person information at court hearing about a case’s plan goals.
The Arizona Auditor General’s office found the department isn’t consistently completing these documents on time or with enough detail.
Marc Owen is with state auditor’s office. He said his department recommended DCS track report submission timeliness and include more review from caseworker supervisors.
"The court reports they provide help the courts ensure that children can receive permanency in a timely manner," Owen said.
DCS responded by saying it did not agree with the auditor general on this issue and would not implement the suggestions.
They were in agreement on some other findings though and plan to implement those recommendations.
