Assigned to HHS FOR
COMMITTEE
Assigned to HHS FOR
COMMITTEE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Third Legislature, Second Regular Session
department of child safety; reports
Purpose
Modifies reporting requirements for the Department of Child Safety (DCS).
Background
DCS is currently required to submit a total of 84 reports on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis. Laws 2014, Second Special Session, Chapter 1 required, by September 1, 2016, the Director of DCS, the Director of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) and the Director of the Governor's Office of Strategic Planning to make recommendations for consolidating child welfare reports and DCS's Financial and Program Accountability report into one comprehensive report, as well as make recommendations regarding the frequency of reporting.
In 2016, DCS created a Metrics Dashboard which combines several metrics, including financial, operational and demographic information, into one document that is updated monthly.
Laws 2017, Chapter 282, required, by December 31, 2017, DCS to submit a report to JLBC and the DCS Joint Legislative Oversight Committee addressing the implementation of a new reporting structure. The report includes various recommendations to consolidate, omit or modify current statutorily required reporting metrics.
Provisions
General Reporting Requirements
1. Requires DCS to make all program and outcomes data available on the DCS website in a format that can be downloaded and that is conducive to analysis.
2. Requires DCS to make all required semiannual and monthly information available within 60 days of the end of the reporting period and to notify the specified individuals when an update is made.
3. Requires DCS to publish on the DCS website the outcome Metrics Dashboard created for the DCS Legislative Oversight Committee.
Annual Reporting
4. Requires DCS to annually report the following:
a) the number of children and families receiving services through the Housing Assistance Program;
b) the percentage of substantiations upheld by the Office of Administrative Hearings; and
c) specified criminal conduct information.
5. Requires DCS to report annually, rather than biannually, the following:
a) the demographics and number of children placed with relative caregivers;
b) the demographics of kinship foster caregivers;
c) the number of relative children per kinship foster care family; and
d) DCS' success at maintaining kinship foster care placement.
6. Requires DCS to report annually, rather than semiannually, the following:
a) the number of newborn infants delivered to safe haven providers; and
b) the number of investigations that resulted in:
i. a substantiated report;
ii. a report currently proposed for substantiation; and
iii. an unsubstantiated report.
7. Requires DCS to annually report the type and cost of services provided to kinship foster care families by licensed and unlicensed caregivers, rather than biannually reporting the cost of services provided to kinship families compared to the cost of out-of-home placements.
8. Removes the March 1 due date for the annual report containing the number of children in the independent living program by age, county and education status.
Semiannual Reporting
9. Requires DCS to semiannually report the number of licensed foster homes that are considered kinship homes.
10. Removes specified due dates for the following semiannual reports:
a) the ratio of supervisors to specialists by region; and
b) the number of children reported to DCS.
11. Requires DCS to prepare, on or before September 30, 2018, the first semiannual report for the period beginning April 1, 2018 and ending June 30, 2018.
12. Requires DCS to prepare semiannual reports on or before March 31, 2019 and September 30, 2019.
13. Repeals, on September 30, 2019, the March 31 and September 30 reporting dates for the semiannual report and requires the semiannual reports thereafter to be prepared within 60 days after the reporting period.
Quarterly Reporting
14. Requires DCS to report, quarterly, the following:
a) the number of case-carrying caseworkers in each region; and
b) the number of investigations and children being serve in-home and out-of-home by region.
15. Requires DCS to report quarterly, rather than semiannually, the following:
a) the caseloads for child safety workers; and
b) the number of new reports; and
c) the number of reports that have been closed.
16. Requires DCS to create a quarterly memorandum addressing the progress on DCS' strategic plan, progress meeting legislative benchmarks and the risks DCS is monitoring and addressing.
Monthly Reporting
17. Requires DCS, each month, to report the following:
a) hotline performance;
b) reports received by maltreatment type, priority and response time;
c) inactive cases by disposition;
d) open reports;
e) financial data comparing total expenditures each month and appropriation totals;
f) entries and exits from foster care by exit type;
g) support service provision; and
h) demographics, placement types and case plan goals of the foster care population.
18. Requires DCS to report monthly, rather than semiannually, the following:
a) staff vacancy levels by position category and turnover;
b) new hires, separations, turnover and voluntary attrition; and
c) the number and type of licensed foster homes that leave the foster care system and the reason for exit.
Miscellaneous
19. Removes the requirement for DCS to report:
a) a programmatic and fiscal evaluation of the effectiveness of the Housing Assistance Program;
b) recommendations regarding improvements to the Kinship Foster Care Program;
c) specified information regarding the Child Safety Expedited Substance Abuse Treatment Fund;
d) three to five challenges DCS faces in achieving safe, permanent homes for abused and neglected children;
e) a description of incoming communication determined to not meet the criteria of a report;
f) a description of some of the reports not responded to; and
g) the total amount of monies spent on the Housing Assistance Program.
20. Requires DCS, on or before December 31, 2018, to:
a) work with stakeholders to identify the necessity of the information currently required and any information not currently required to be included in the reports; and
b) report on any recommended changes in reporting requirements to the Committee of Reference for health and human services issues.
21. Removes permissions for DCS to adopt rules to carry out the Housing Assistance Program.
22. Requires the Kinship Foster Care Program to promote the placement of a child with the child's relative or a person with a significant relationship with the child, rather than just a relative.
23. Requires DCS to collaborate with AHCCCS, rather than DHS, in providing services through the Child Safety Expedited Substance Abuse Treatment Fund.
24. Makes technical and conforming changes.
25. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 13, 2018
CRS/JN/lat