Arizona's Department of Child Safety must treat placement with a parent, relative or close family friend as the priority placement for a child, may make unannounced visits to group foster homes and kinship homes, and must have new child safety workers spend at least 1 year under an experienced worker's supervision.
Official title: DCS; training; child placement; management
- September 12, 2026
What changes
BeforeThe department may place a child with a parent, a relative or a person who has a significant relationship with the child.
NowPlacement with a parent, a relative or a person who has a significant relationship with the child shall be the priority placement for a child.
BeforeWithout written department approval, a parent or relative caring for a child could not place the child with someone else, allow contact with the allegedly abusive or neglectful person, or take the child out of state. The department had to tell parents and relatives about available services and help them apply.
NowThese same limits and the department's duty to explain services and help with applications now also cover a person who has a significant relationship with the child.
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NowThe department may conduct unannounced visits and inspections of any licensed group foster home and of any home where a child in its care and custody is placed in kinship foster care.
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NowThe department shall require each newly hired child safety worker to spend at least 1 year working and training under the supervision of an experienced child safety worker.
BeforeThe auditor general's audit team at the department may verify information reported to the legislature, review specific department functions, and perform other reviews.
NowThe audit team may also review how the department manages the case management system it uses to track the placement and location of children in its care, including data accuracy and system errors.
Who it affects
- Children in the care of the Department of Child Safety
- Parents, relatives and people with a significant relationship to a child who care for a child placed by the department
- Kinship foster care families
- Licensed group foster homes
- Newly hired child safety workers
- Department of Child Safety
- Auditor general's audit team
What you need to do
Nothing.
What the law doesn't answer
- What making family placement the 'priority placement' requires in practice, or when another placement may be chosen instead
- How often unannounced visits and inspections may happen or what happens if problems are found
- What counts as an 'experienced' child safety worker for the 1-year supervision rule
- Whether the 1-year supervision rule affects workers hired before the law takes effect
- What happens after the audit team reviews the case management system
- Any cost or funding for these changes
This summary describes the law as enacted. Later laws, court rulings or referendum petitions can change the picture. Check the official text for the current wording.