Arizona's foster crisis persists, say child advocates, even as DCS trumpets progress

Fewer Arizona children are being removed from their families, the backlog of uninvestigated child abuse reports is down dramatically and child welfare workers have manageable caseloads — all signs that the Arizona Department of Child Safety is finally on the right track, its leaders say.

More >> Arizona's foster crisis persists, say child advocates, even as DCS trumpets progress

But advocates for children say it’s not yet time to celebrate — they warn that recent progress to overhaul Arizona’s chronically strained child welfare system could easily be reversed. The very idea that the child welfare system has been “fixed” could spur complacency by policymakers whose funding decisions determine DCS’s ability to function, they fear.