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Arizona Republic: Arizona’s Department of Child Safety To Address Issues With New System

Mary Jo Pitzl
Sky Schaudt/KJZZ
Mary Jo Pitzl in KJZZ's studio in 2018.

On Feb. 1, Arizona’s Department of Child Safety switched to a new information system called Guardian. And the first seven weeks have seen some bumps, in particular with the Ombudsman and the Foster Care Review Board being unable to access the DCS computer system.

The hiccups have also left some youth who are in extended foster care without their monthly stipends.

The State Senate Health and Human Services Committee will hold a hearing March 24 on the Guardian and computer system issues.

Arizona Republic reporter Mary Jo Pitzl has written about the problems, and The Show spoke with her about what specific concerns the system brings to mind.

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Steve Goldstein was a host at KJZZ from 1997 to 2022.