CHILD SAFETY REFORM LEGISLATION

MAY 2014


OVERVIEW:
The purpose of the bill is to separate the states child safety functions from the Arizona
Department of Economic Security (DES) and create a stand-alone, cabinet-level child safety
agency

MAJOR PROVISIONS:
Establishes the Department of Child Safety as a separate Department with child safety as the
primary purpose, effective July 1, 2014
Outlines the purpose, scope, and organization of the new Department
Requires transparency and accountability
Transfers Office of Child Welfare Investigations (OCWI) to the new Department with a
direct report to the Director
Allows the Director to contract with a private entity to provide services or functions that the
Department provides
Allows the Department to employ legal counsel to provide legal advice to the Director, but
requires the Attorney General to represent the Department in any administrative or judicial
proceeding
Enables the Department to provide prevention, intervention and treatment for abused and
neglected children
Establishes requirements for the centralized intake hotline
Allows the Department to investigate child abuse and neglect allegations if the alleged
perpetrator is an adult member of the victims household
Establishes training requirements for hotline workers, field investigators, and child safety
workers
Allows other methods of reporting suspected child abuse and neglect to the hotline (e.g. e-
mail, web-based forms, etc.)
Establishes an Inspections Bureau to ensure compliance with statute and the rules and
policies of the Department and to continuously improve the practices of the Department
Establishes a Community Advisory Committee to:
Inform the Department, analyze current law and policy
Make recommendations to improve the ability of the Department to increase the
safety of children, respond to child maltreatment and assure the well-being of and
timely permanency for children that are referred to and involved in the child welfare
system.
Create enhanced collaboration among state, local, community, public and private
stakeholders
Improve communication between mandatory reporters and the Department





Requires the Auditor General to contract with an independent expert consultant to:
Examine the current child safety system
Consider best practices to improve the delivery of services in the state
Provide consultation on the effective establishment of the new Department with a
focus on implementation challenges
Recommend the need for periodic performance evaluations
Changes the CPS Oversight Committee to the Child Safety Oversight Committee and extends
the Committee to December 2015
Transfers the Central Registry to the Department of Child Safety and allows the Department
to maintain certain reports on the Registry for less than 25 years. The Department is required
to adopt rules to designate the length of time it must maintain those reports on the Registry
Allows the Department to develop protocols for not conducting a full investigation while also
taking measures to prevent future risk of harm to the child in cases not involving criminal
conduct and in which there is reasonable belief that the child is currently safe. Requires the
Department to report its recommendations to the Governor, Speaker and President by July 1,
2015
Exempts the Department of Child Safety from rule-making for 18 months and exempts the
Department of Economic Security from rule-making for 12 months in order to facilitate the
transfer of operations to the new Department, but includes several public posting and forum
requirements
Requires the Director of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, the Director of the
Governor's Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting and the Director of the Department of
Child Safety to report to the Governor, Speaker, and President recommendations for
consolidating into one comprehensive report the semi-annual child welfare report, financial
and program accountability report, and other child welfare reports prepared by the
department by September 1, 2016. Requires that they also address the merits of adding
additional accountability factors, including new reporting measures for OCWI and the impact
of substance abuse in child abuse and neglect cases.
Department of Child Safety- Special Session Budget Recommendations
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Appropriations
Supplemental
Backlog- Action Determination
Backlog- Investigation
Backlog- Out-of-Home Care Placement
Backlog- Out-of-Home Care Services
Backlog- In-Home Care Services
Caseworkers and Support Staff
Caseworker Retention
ASU -Joint Training
Child Care
Internet Crimes Against Children
Preventative Services
SLI- OCWI
Inspections Bureau
Ombudsman
Auditor General
Internal legal Counsel
Congregate Care Backfill
Transition Fund
Partial Deferral Payoff
Total
Footnotes:
Line 1
FY14 FY15 FY16
5,050,000 -
-
- 246,500 -
- 4,218,500 -
- 6,815,900 4,543,900
- 7,620,300 5,080,200
- 4,173,100 2,782,100
- 6,222,500 4,993,000
- 1,707,000 1,707,000
- 150,000 150,000
- 4,000,000 4,000,000
- 350,000 350,000
- - 4,000,000
- 5,282,500 5,553,300
- 2,193,800 1,945,800
- 828,500 828,500
- 250,000 -
- 157,300 157,300
- 2,450,000 2,450,000
- 5,000,000 -
- 3,000,000 -
5,050,000 54,665,900 38,541,100
Does not continue into FY 2015, FY 2016 and FY 2017 because of increase to CSS budget in HB 2703
Lines 5 and 6
Line 7
LineS
Represents increase to Children Support Services SUs
Assumes service delivery for 9 months in FY 2015 and for 6 months in FY 2016
Provides funding to hire additional 54 caseworkers and 40 support staff
Establishes caseworker retention stipend: $1,000 for 18 months of employment, $3,000 for 36 months
Assumes 525 will receive $1,000 stipend and 394 will receive $3,000 stipend each year
Line 10
Caps total LIW Child Care subsidy population at 8,500
One-in-one-out policy implemented
Line 13
Provides funding to hire additional 54 investigators and 19 support staff
Hiring phased in over first six months of FY 2015
Creates SLI for OCWI funding
Line 14
Provides funding for 31 employees for Inspections Bureau
Line 20
Eliminates need to defer May payments for Children Support Services
FY17
-
-
-
-
-
-
4,993,000
1,707,000
150,000
4,000,000
350,000
8,000,000
5,553,300
1,945,800
828,500
-
157,300
2,450,000
-
-
30,134,900
Program Division between Department of Child Safety and Department of Economic Security
Department of Child Safety Department of Economic Security
Operating Operating
Office of child welfare investigations Aging and Adult Services
DCSFS attorney general legal services Adult Services
Adoption services Community and emergency services
In-home preventive support services Coordinated homeless
Out-of-home support services Domestic violence prevention
CPS emergency and residential placement Benefits and Medical Eligibilijy
Foster care placement Temporary assistance for needy families cash benefits
Independent living maintenance Coordinated hunger
Intensive family services Tribal pass-through funding
Permanent guardianship subsidy Child SUQQOrt enforcement
Grandparent stipends County participation
DCSFS child care subsidy DeveloQmental disabilities
Licensing Case management - Medicaid
Total Appropriation: $827,150,600 Home and community based services - Medicaid
FTE Positions: 3,133 Institutional services - Medicaid
Medical services - Medicaid
Arizona training program at Coolidge - Medicaid
Medicare clawback payments
Case management - state-only
Home and community based services - state-only
Autism parenting skills - rural areas
EmQloyment and rehabilitation services
JOBS
Child care subsidy
Independent living rehabilitation services
Rehabilitation services
Workforce investment act services
Total appropriation: $1,533,099,100
FTE Positions: 3,807