Reporters at ProPublica and the Boston Globe have found that not one state fully complies with the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. That’s the nation’s primary child abuse law for children not in state custody.
Countless children live in abusive homes, yet the reporters’ survey found numerous failings in the 50 states; Washington, D.C.; and Puerto Rico.
While some states welcomed the scrutiny, Arizona did not. In a letter dated, March 19, 2019, Former Department of Child Services Director Greg McKay called the effort a “time consuming, lengthy, non-value added survey.” McKay resigned from the department in August.
Boston Globe reporter Emily Palmer is one of the reporters behind the survey and ultimately obtained data to rank Arizona among the states that are minimally compliant with the federal law. Palmer joined The Show.
KJZZ asked the Department of Child Safety for comment on the report. There is no official statement yet.
