Category: Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice

Passage of SB 1050 is a First Step in Rethinking Neglect

Passage of SB 1050 is a First Step in Rethinking Neglect: To prevent child maltreatment, Arizona must rethink both how it defines and responds to neglect.

By replacing one word, Senate Bill 1050 (Townsend), made a small but significant shift in the way the state defines child neglect. A finding of neglect now requires that the inability or unwillingness of a parent to provide supervision, food, clothing, shelter, or medical care must cause a substantial risk of harm to a child’s health or welfare, rather than merely an unreasonable risk of harm. While the change is subtle and may have limited immediate impact, it is an important recognition that children should not be separated from their parents just because they are poor. Or, at least, a recognition that the time has come for Arizona to rethink the use of foster care as a response to poverty-related child neglect.

Each year, Arizona’s child abuse and neglect hotline receives over 75,000 referrals for child maltreatment. Ninety-two percent are for neglect.1 Among children in foster care, neglect is cited as one of the reasons for removal 87% of the time.2 Much of what the child welfare system deems “neglect” stems from poverty. Research shows that families that experience poverty-related stressors such as income insecurity, housing instability, and food insecurity are more likely to come into contact with the child welfare system.3 For families of color, systemic racism heightens those challenges bringing them to the attention of child welfare at disproportionately high rates.4

A growing body of research also shows that when family economic security is addressed through fiscal supports, neglect and child welfare involvement decreases. Recent studies have found:

A $1 increase in minimum wage is associated with a 10.9% decline in neglect reports involving young children.
More generous state food stamp benefits lead to both fewer reports of child maltreatment and less use of foster care. For every 5% increase in enrollment of low income, the number of children in foster care was reduced by 7.6% to 14.3%.
Federal Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit programs are associated with immediate reductions in child maltreatment reporting. For each additional $1,000 in per-child EITC and CTC tax refunds, state-level rates of reported child maltreatment declined in the week of and four weeks following refund payment by 5%.
A 10% increase in State Earned Income Tax Credit (provided in 29 states on top of the federal credit) leads to a 9% drop in neglect reports.

In its 2015 publication, The ‘Neglect of Neglect’, ASU’s Morrison Institute of Public Policy called on Arizona to define neglect more clearly in order to address it more effectively, offering:

“Policy makers and researchers must ask: Is a child is not eating enough because the parent is negligent, or because the family doesn’t have enough money to buy food? The effort to protect children cannot include punishing families for being poor.”

While there can be no doubt that neglect can cause significant and lasting harm to children, especially very young children, the policy decision to respond to poverty-related neglect through family separation by the foster care system must be called into question. Arizona needs to rethink neglect and how we respond to it—and most, importantly, how we can prevent it by investing in the financial wellbeing of families. The passage of SB 1050 is a good first step.

Your voice is needed to get 2022 health wins over the finish line

CAA and our partners worked hard this year to get the legislature to approve changes to our Medicaid and CHIP programs (AHCCCS and KidsCare). Thanks to your advocacy, the legislature passed bills making it easier for people to access high quality, affordable health coverage.

Now AHCCCS needs our help to get these changes over the finish line!

Postpartum coverage: The state legislature passed a bill extending postpartum Medicaid coverage period from just 60 days to 12 months after pregnancy. AHCCCS is accepting public comments on this measure until August 29th. This is a final step before the extension can be implemented, and we want them to know we are supportive! Postpartum coverage omments can be submitted by email to publicinput@azahcccs.gov.

EPSDT: AHCCCS is also proposing several important changes to its Early and Periodic Diagnostic, Screening and Testing (EPSDT) policies. We believe these changes will support child and family health and promote equity. The public can view and submit your thoughts on the proposed changes via this portal. Comments on these changes are due by September 1st.

It’s important that we go on record to tell our Medicaid agency why these changes are needed and how they will benefit our communities.

If you’re not sure where to start, feel free to download and modify our template comments (linked here).

AZECA’s Full Partnership Meeting and the Rollout of the New Membership Model

The Arizona Early Childhood Alliance (AZECA) will hold a full partnership meeting on August 29th, 2022 to discuss the roll out of the new membership model and updated website.

AZECA is an alliance of 50+ cross-sector partners statewide who are working together to give every Arizona child a great start in life. AZECA serves as Arizona’s shared and unified voice on early childhood, providing informed messages and credible resources that help leaders create positive change for Arizona’s children. These efforts are designed to ensure that all Arizona children are prepared for kindergarten and are on track to succeed by the end of third grade.

Starting in 2023, AZECA’s new membership model will offer partners exciting new benefits including access to the AZECA Children’s Policy Institute and an opportunity to participate in the annual Early Childhood Day at the Capitol lobby event.

AZECA welcomes new partners to join in on their critical work of directly influencing program and policy solutions for early childhood by collectively working together with lawmakers, practitioners, foundations, businesses, and other supporting collaboratives.

Please join AZECA virtually for the Full Partnership meeting:

When: August 29th, 2022 from 12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
Where: Zoom

Discussion and Insight on:

Legislative Update

The rollout of the new AZECA Membership Model
AZECA Member Benefits
Membership Drive Activity
Leadership Team Nomination Process
Partner Information, Celebrations and Announcements

Click HERE to register for the meeting

2022 KidsCount Data Show AZ Children are in Crisis

Children in the United States are experiencing anxiety and depression at alarming rates, per the newly released 2022 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, a 50-state report of recent household data released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

In the year before the COVID-19 pandemic, 9% of U.S. high school students attempted suicide. This is alarming on its face – but the Kids Count data also show significant disparities in adolescent suicidality by race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity. For example, 12% of Black students, 13% of students of two or more races, 23% of gay, lesbian, or bisexual students, and 26% of American Indian / Native Alaskan students attempted suicide.

The KidsCount Data Book looks at multiple indicators and data sources to rank how children and families are faring in each state. The report ranked Arizona 44th in the nation when it comes to economic well-being, health, and family and community support.

The report also proposes solutions to the systemic barriers to accessing mental health care and other supportive services, particularly for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ students.

As the pandemic took hold, diagnoses of depression and anxiety increased markedly in 3-7 year olds across the country – but decreased in Arizona from 11.7% to 10.8% between 2016 and 2020. While fewer children in our state are being diagnosed with these conditions, additional research is needed to determine whether this is a true improvement in mental health status or simply a symptom of insufficient access to health care.

The report shows other alarming trends in Arizona: higher child and teen death rates, more children living in families where no parent has full-time work, more children without health insurance, and fewer high school students graduating on time are higher than the national average. Though the poverty rate has fallen to an average of 20% throughout our state, it remains higher than the national average of 17%.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Children’s Action Alliance, and the AZ Center for Economic Progress recommend the following solutions to keep children mentally and physically healthy:

Prioritize meeting kids’ basic needs. Youth who grow up in poverty are two to three times more likely to develop mental health conditions than their peers. Children need a solid foundation of nutritious food, stable housing, and safe neighborhoods — and their families need financial stability — to foster positive mental health and wellness.
Ensure every child has access to the mental health care they need, when and where they need it. Schools should increase the presence of social workers, psychologists and other mental health professionals on staff and strive to meet the 250-to-1 ratio of students to counselors recommended by the American School Counselor Association. Currently, Arizona ranks last in the nation with a 716-to-1 ratio.

Bolster mental health care that considers young people’s experiences and identities. Care should be trauma-informed — designed to promote a child’s healing and emotional security — and culturally relevant to the child’s life. It should be informed by the latest evidence and research and should be geared toward early intervention, which can be especially important in the absence of a formal diagnosis of mental illness.

2022 National Kids Count Report

FAAZ is looking for youth to join its Young Adult Leadership Board

Request Information Form Here

Fostering Advocates Arizona (FAAZ) is seeking new members for its Young Adult Leadership Board! FAAZ is a community of young leaders with lived experience in foster care who connect other young adults leaving care with the information, resources, and support they need to successfully transition to adulthood. FAAZ’s work is centered on the lived expertise of foster youth, guided by partnership with Children’s Action Alliance and the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative, and supported by a Community Advisory Board.

FAAZ is a force for positive change for foster youth. Since it got started nearly 10 years ago, FAAZ has:

Established the foster care tuition waiver at Arizona state universities and community colleges,
Improved policy and practices to give foster youth opportunities for normal childhood experiences,
Spearheaded efforts to ensure former foster youth have continuous health care coverage to age 26, and
Just this year, successfully advocated to raise the monthly subsidy provided to youth in extended foster care from $715 to $1200.

Do you know a young person between the ages of 16 and 26 who experienced foster care as a teen and is interested in becoming a changemaker? No experience required! FAAZ equips young people with the experience, leadership skills, and tools they need to be a positive force for foster youth.

May is National Foster Care Month: 5 Ways to Show Your Support

May is National Foster Care Month! CAA and its partner Fostering Advocates Arizona (FAAZ), a group of policy advocates with lived expertise, are using the month to raise awareness about the needs of transition-age foster youth. Here are 5 things you can do to help!

Read and share the Presidential Proclamation for National Foster Care Month
Follow FAAZ on Instagram @fosteringadvocatesarizona and share its posts with your own social networks. Share your own stories about foster care and use the #NFCM and #FosteringAdvocatesAZ hashtags to help us find your posts.
Update your Zoom background to honor the month! *See custom graphic below for download*
Participate in the FAAZ Foster Life Challenge! Designed by young people who have experienced the struggles of foster care firsthand, the FAAZ Foster Life Challenge simulates just one of the many daily hardships for a teen in foster care. Participating will increase your empathy and understanding, raise awareness of key issues that impact normalcy for young adults in care, and encourage advocacy. Learn more about the FAAZ Challenge.
Support FAAZ by making a donation. Every dollar you give helps young people who experience foster care!

Thank you for joining us for National Foster Care Month! By raising awareness about the needs of older foster youth and former foster youth, you can help our efforts to improve Arizona’s child welfare system and support the successful transition of youth who age out of foster care.

Zoom Background

* Please Note: Save the image above to set as your zoom background > Then go to your zoom settings and select "background & filters" > Upload the image! When applying this background be sure to un-mirror your camera using the checkbox below your background selection.*

CAA and FAAZ Seek Increased Supports for Youth Transitioning from Foster Care

Legislation to increase financial supports provided to transition-age foster youth has passed out of the Arizona State Senate and is being considered by the House of Representatives. SB 1325 (Shope) would increase the Independent Living Subsidy provided to youth ages 18 to 21 who are participating in extending foster care from $715 to $1,200 a month.

Extended foster care allows youth who would otherwise “age-out” of foster care at 18 to voluntarily remain in care until age 21. Studies show that youth who participate in extended foster care are more likely to complete high school, enroll in college, and be consistently employed, and they are less likely to need public food assistance, experience major economic hardship, become pregnant, or be involved in the criminal justice system. ¹

Arizona’s extended foster care program assists foster youth as they transition to independence by providing support from a DCS case specialist and help meeting basic needs, including housing. Housing options include continuing with a foster family or group home placement or, if appropriate, DCS may support a young person living on their own, for example in an apartment or dormitory, by providing an Independent Living Subsidy.

The financial support provided by the subsidy is critical to helping foster youth find their footing as adults as they grow toward independence. But, at $715 a month with a $50 step down every six months, the subsidy amount has not kept pace with the cost of living. In Maricopa County, the average monthly cost of living for a single adult is estimated to be $2,457. ²

Through SB 1325 (Shope), CAA and Fostering Advocates Arizona, a group of young leaders with lived experience in foster care, are asking the state to increase the subsidy to $1,200 to better reflect the cost of living and provide transition-age foster youth with the meaningful financial support they need to become successful, independent adults.

¹Courtney, M. E., Okpych, N. J., & Park, S. (2018). Report from CalYOUTH: Findings on the relationships between extended foster care and youths’ outcomes at age 21. Chicago, IL: Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago
²Economic Policy Institute, March 2022. Based on 2020 cost of living not including health care, childcare costs and taxes. https://www.epi.org/resources/budget

2022 Governor's Budget Hits & Misses

Each year, Arizona’s legislative session begins with the Governor’s State of the State speech and the unveiling of his or her annual priorities and proposed budget. This session presents Governor Ducey a rare opportunity in his final year in office to provide much-needed help to children and families in Arizona. Despite the lingering pandemic, Arizona’s revenues have reached historic highs in large part due to the multiple federal economic rescue packages and temporary unemployment insurance expansion. Arizona currently has $1 billion in ongoing and $2.1 billion in one-time revenues. This is in addition to billions of dollars in unspent federal COVID relief dollars.

Also at the beginning of each year, Children’s Action Alliance publishes its list of legislative priorities. It is our hope each year that the Governor's priorities align with ours. This year, while we did see a few bright spots that address longstanding needs, that largely did not happen. Take a look at a comparison of where the Governors priorities and ours find common ground, and where opportunities missed the mark or weren’t addressed.

On mobile? View our printable PDF.

Early Childhood

	Secure state general fund investment in child care assistance Not addressed in the Governor’s budget or State of the State.
	Increase Arizona Early Intervention Program provider rates Nearly 11,000 children under the age of 3 who have disabilities or developmental delays receive therapies and other support from the Arizona Early Intervention Program. Current rates paid to providers are significantly below comparable rates paid by the program that provides services to children over age 3. The Governor’s budget proposal adds $18.6 million per year starting in fiscal year 2024 to bring the rates in line with rates paid by other programs. A temporary rate increase will be funded in fiscal year 2023 using federal dollars.
	Secure state investment in Healthy Families home visitation program The Governor’s budget provides $10 million, of which $7.5 million is new funding and $2.5 million replaces funds that will no longer be available. Healthy Families currently serves 4,000 families. The Governor’s budget would add an additional 1,500 families. The Governor’s budget also includes a total $15 million for fiscal years 24 and 25 which would increase the program’s ability to serve 8,000 families.
	Fight any use of state funds appropriated for online early education Not addressed in the Governor’s budget or State of the State.

Education

	Prevent a $1.2 billion cut to public schools by authorizing an annual exemption to the K-12 expenditure cap for this school year by March 1 If the legislature does not override the education spending limit by March 1, 2022, Arizona’s district schools will be required to cut their current year budgets by $1.2 billion. This issue is not addressed in the Governor’s budget or State of the State.
	Refer a measure to the ballot to update or eliminate the outdated K-12 expenditure authority. Not addressed in the Governor’s budget or State of the State.
	Expand access to affordable higher education and prevent increases in student debt The Governor’s budget proposal increases the Promise Grant funding by $12.5 million for a total $20 million. These additional dollars will serve an additional 3,300 students. The Promise Grant program covers the balance of tuition that remains for students who are fully eligible for Pell grants. The Governor’s budget, however, continues to suspend $10 million of the statutorily required deposit into the Student Financial Aid Trust Fund. This issue is not addressed preventing tuition increases.
	Reduces inequities in school funding The Governor’s proposal increases results-based funding for excelling schools by $60.8 million for a total $129 million. The Governor’s proposal also includes moving this funding into the Basic State Aid appropriation where it will lose its separate identity. Schools continue to receive results-based funding as long as they meet the criteria. For struggling schools the Governor’s proposal includes $58 million to create the Operation Excellence program which provides $150 per student for three years.

Family Health

Extend postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months (currently 60 days)

Approximately 15,000 to 18,000 pregnant adults could benefit from extended AHCCCS coverage. This issue is not addressed in the Governor’s budget or State of the State.

Comprehensive adult dental coverage through Medicaid

Currently only a maximum of $1,000 annually of emergency services are available for most adult populations. This issue is not addressed in the Governor’ budget or the State of the State.

Streamline Young Adult Transitional Insurance (YATI) re-enrollment for former foster youth

Young adults who “age out” of foster care at age 18 are automatically eligible for enrollment in AHCCCS, the state’s Medicaid program. If they do not respond to redetermination notices or requests for additional information, often because AHCCCS does not have an accurate address, they are disenrolled. More than 5,200 young adults are currently enrolled through YATI. This issue is not addressed in the Governor’s budget or State of the State.

Children's Health

Waive the Medicaid five-year residency requirement for otherwise eligible pregnant people and kids who are lawfully present immigrants

Between 7,000 and 11,000 Arizona children are ineligibility for the state’s health insurance program because they have not been in the US for at least five years. This issue is not addressed in the Governor’s budget or State of the State. Adopting the Immigrant Children’s Health Improvement Act (ICHIA) option would allow the state to provide high-quality health coverage to these children and to receive a higher federal reimbursement for their care.

Provide 12-month continuous enrollment for children participating in AHCCCS or KidsCare

More than 850,000 Arizona children are enrolled in Arizona’s Medicaid or CHIP programs. Though children who qualify are eligible for 12 months, families who experience income volatility may lose coverage due to a temporary or one-time increase. This has a negative impact on children’s health outcomes and presents an administrative burden to both AHCCCS and the families who lose coverage. This issue is not addressed in the Governor’s budget or State of the State.

Eliminate three-month wait period for KidsCare enrollment

Arizona’s KidsCare program requires a child cannot be covered by any health insurance for three months prior to enrollment. This presents a barrier to enrollment. Even short lapses in health insurance coverage have a negative impact on children’s health outcomes. This issue is not addressed in the Governor’s budget or State of the State.

Child Welfare & Juvenile Justice

	Increase kinship foster care stipend The Governor’s proposal quadruples the unlicensed rate from $75 to $300 per month and also increases the daily allowance that pays for clothing, school supplies, etc. This increase adds $19.8 million for a total $24.8 million for kinship placements.
	Reduced barriers to licensure for foster care and kinship care providers Licensed foster care providers receive more than $600 a month compared to the current $75 for unlicensed kinship providers. The Governor’s budget proposes removing barriers to licensure for kinship caregivers while maintaining home life and safety standards.
	Increase the independent living subsidy provided for youth in extended foster care Currently, 651 former foster youth between ages 18 and 21 receive the independent living subsidy. Currently the maximum subsidy is $715 and is reduced by $50 every six months. Neither the Governor’s budget nor the State of the State address this issue.
	Reduce or eliminate juvenile court fines and fees This issue is not addressed in the Governor’s budget or State of the State.

Governor Proposes Pathway to Parity for Foster Children Placed with Kin

In his State of the State address, Governor Ducey unveiled a proposal to significantly increase the supports provided to foster children placed with kin and to put them on a pathway to receiving the same level of financial support provided to children placed with non-relatives.

Kinship foster care is a best practice, mitigating the trauma of parental separation and leading to better outcomes for children. Arizona utilizes kinship foster care at a much greater rate than the national average of 32%. As of June 2021, 52% of all children in DCS’s custody were placed with a relative. However, the state has not provided these children with adequate financial supports. A foster child who is placed with an unlicensed relative is provided with a monthly stipend of just $75 a month. If that same foster child were placed with a non-relative foster parent, they would receive, on average, $641 a month.

There are two key components to achieving full parity for children in kinship foster care:

Increasing state funding to a level that will equal the state’s share of costs once Arizona is able to draw down federal funding for more foster children placed with relatives, and
Increasing the number of kinship caregivers who become licensed as foster parents, a prerequisite for leveraging federal funding.

The Governor’s proposal addresses both components simultaneously. The Executive Budget and HB 2274 (Weninger) seek an appropriation of $24.4M to provide foster children placed with kin with a monthly stipend of $300 a month. This 300% increase will immediately help kinship foster caregivers better meet the needs of the children in their care and brings the state investment up to the level needed to leverage federal funding. At the same time, DCS is putting a number of policy and practice changes in place to remove barriers to kinship licensure and expedite the process, including seeking a change to statute (HB 2084 Osborne: Udall) that will streamline background checks for kinship caregivers who have already met required safety standards. By taking these two leaps forward, foster children placed with kin will have the supports they need in the placements where they can best thrive.

Please support these CAA priority bills by joining us and Arizona Grandparent Ambassadors and Kinship Caregivers for a week of (virtual) action, beginning February 14th.