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Status of Abused and Neglected
Children in Arizona (November 2009)
4001 N 3rd St, Suite 160
Phoenix, AZ 85012
(602) 266-0707 Recent state budget woes
www.azchildren.org and cuts to Child Protective
Services (CPS) have
Quick Definitions1 impacted the ability of CPS
Maltreatment is an act or to investigate all reports,
failure to act by a parent, provide services to families in
guardian or caregiver which their own homes and support
results in physical abuse, the children in foster care.
neglect, medical neglect,
The data reported in this
sexual abuse or emotional
abuse. report reflect the beginning
of these 2009 service and
Physical Abuse means the
staffing cuts. As in any year,
infliction or allowing of
it is important to follow the
physical injury, impairment
trends and outcomes of cases
of bodily function or
disfigurement. and share the impact of state
interventions on these most
Neglect means the inability or
vulnerable children and
unwillingness to provide a
families.
child with supervision, food,
clothing, shelter, or medical
care if it causes substantial
All data in this report is from the Child Welfare Reporting Requirements Semi-Annual
risk of harm to the child’s Report, Arizona Department of Economic Security; Division of Children, Youth and
health or welfare. Families; Administration of Children, Youth and Families (April 1, 2008 to September 31,
2008) and/or (October 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009) unless otherwise noted.
Emotional Abuse is evidenced
by severe anxiety, depression, How Many Children are Reported to Be Suffering?
withdraw or improper
aggressive behavior caused There were 34,587 reports of child
by blaming, belittling or maltreatment made to CPS from April
rejecting a child, constantly 1, 2008 through March 31, 2009. This
treating siblings unequally, is a 3% reduction from the same time
and a persistent lack of con- period in 2007 - 2008.
cern for the child’s welfare.
A majority of the reports were
1 classified as neglect (58%), while one
Categories of Abuse and Neglect,
third were related to physical abuse
Arizona Department of Economic
Security, https://egov.azdes.gov/ (35%). Other reports alleged sexual
cmsinternet/main.aspx? abuse (6%) or emotional abuse (1%).
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Status of Abused and Neglected Children in Arizona
Page 2
Child Maltreatment is Deadly and Preventable 2
Fifty-one children died in of them had mental, Nearly half (54%) of the the child died. Six cases
2008 due to maltreatment, physical, and/or sensory maltreatment deaths had recent allegations
down from 65 in 2007. disabilities. were homicides; blunt that were in the process
force trauma was the of being investigated.
Drugs and/or alcohol Of the maltreatment
leading cause of death.
were contributing factors deaths, a biological
in 27 of the deaths. parent was the Prior involvement with
perpetrator in 71% of CPS was identified in
Twenty-nine of the 2
the cases; a boyfriend or 30 (59%) of the deaths, Arizona Child Fatality Review
children were younger step-parent was the and eight of these cases Team, Sixteenth Annual Report,
than one year old; eight November 2009.
perpetrator in 14%. were open at the time
The Number of Children in Foster Care is Over 8,000 children
Increasing (8,435) entered the
12,000 foster care system
10,000
8,000 between April 1,
6,000
2008 and March
4,000
2,000 31, 2009, a 10%
0
increase from the
previous year.
Significant Racial Disparities Exist Among Foster Youth
There are far more African-
American children in foster
care than in the overall
child population in Arizona
(14% and 4% respectively).
African American children
are 6% more likely to be
returned home with their
families as compared to
White children.
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Status of Abused and Neglected Children in Arizona
Page 3
Placement of Children in Out-of-Home Care
On March 31, 2009, there were 10,404 children in
out-of-home care, a 7% increase over the same
period the previous year.
Eleven percent (885) of all the children entering
out-of-home care between April 2008 and March
2009 had entered out-of-home care at least once
before in the prior 12 months.
The number of children (1,375) in congregate care
placements (i.e., group homes, residential treat-
ment centers or shelters) decreased by 13% from
March 2008 - March 2009.
On March 31, 2009, 15% of kids in out-of-home
care (1,541) had a case goal of long-term foster
care or independent living. This means they will
likely grow up in foster care, and as young adults, indicates an increase in the number of children overseen
leave foster care to live on their own. by the courts. A series of legal proceedings must take
place with each case, which puts stress on the time and
From July 2007 to June 2008, there were 3,702 resources of the courts, legal advocates and foster care
new dependency petitions filed in Arizona juvenile volunteers.3
courts, representing 5,930 children and a 2.8%
3 Arizona Supreme Court , Administrative Office of the Courts,
increase from the previous year. This number
Dependent Children’s Services.
Who’s Entering Foster Care...Who’s Leaving?
7,638 children left out-of-home
care between April 1, 2008 and
March 31, 2009. In that same
time frame, 8,435 children
entered the out-of-home care
system.
From April 1, 2008 to March 31,
2009, roughly 55% of foster
children who left care did so
within one year. Another 45%
(3,229) had been in care for
more than one year and 23%
(1,690) had been in the state’s
care for more than two years.
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Status of Abused and Neglected Children in Arizona
Page 4
Reason for Leaving Care
Between April 1, 2008 and ing 18 years old had
March 31, 2009, 7,363 lived in close to eight
children left foster care. placements and had
been in care for
The typical child leaving
almost four years.
foster care was eight
years old, had one foster As of March 31,
placement and had been 2009, there were
in care close to 10 238 children with a
months. case plan of
adoption who had
On the average, youth
not yet been placed
who left care after reach-
in a prospective
adoptive home.
Oversight
The ability to provide timely, appropriate and required services to children and families involved in the child
welfare system depends largely on the caseloads of direct service staff. In June 2009, CPS investigation staff
averaged 15 cases per full-time employee (FTE), well above the standard caseload of 10 per FTE. Also, in-home
and out-of-home services caseloads were about 30% above the Arizona standard. Recent budget cuts and staff
lay-offs have made matters worse: from January through June 2009, the annualized turnover rate for CPS
Specialists was 51.4% 4
Although caseworkers and other professionals are legally required to meet personally with children in out-of-home
care at least once a month, 3,157 (30%) of foster kids did not receive a visit in March 2009, up from the 24% not
receiving their required visit in March 2008. When a child’s case plan is family reunification, caseworkers have
similar monthly meeting requirements with parents, but 46% (813) of parents did not receive their monthly
meeting in March 2009, up from 38% of parents in March 2008.
The number of
licensed foster homes
CPS Caseloads
30 28 increased by 331 to a
24 total of 3,592, and the
25
number of available
Standard
20
15 19 Standard spaces increased 32%
15 16 from 6,283 to 8,293.
Standard
10
10 As reported in March
5
2009, 24% of foster
0
homes (930) did not
Investigations In-home services Out-of-home services
receive the required
June 2009 AZ Caseload Standard quarterly visit by their
4 licensing worker.
Financial Program Accountability Report for CPS for the Reporting Period of January - June 2009
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