A bipartisan state Senate panel unanimously supports Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs' pick to lead the Department of Child Safety. On Thursday, lawmakers recommended confirming Kathryn Ptak as director.
Senators did refer to the agency’s past issues, including a negative report from the state Auditor General’s Office, which said DCS has failed to fully implement 42 out of 58 recommendations from six audits.
Committee Chair Sen. Jake Hoffman told Ptak he wants stability from the agency:
“When there are concerns, as with the guardian system, as with the production of documents, as with the due process afforded to families who are fighting to rebuild that family, I don’t think that we have the ability to take those lightly,” he said.
Before the Senate takes a final vote on her confirmation, Hoffman asked Ptak to craft a statement explaining how she’ll ensure that due process and parental rights will be upheld.
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