PHOENIX — An Arizona attorney is calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate whether the Arizona Department of Child Safety has a pattern of discriminating against children with disabilities after two boys with type 1 diabetes died in state custody.
Robert Pastor represents the families of Jacob Blodgett and Christian Williams, both of whom were placed in group homes by DCS and died after failing to receive the care they needed for type 1 diabetes.
In a sworn deposition taken on March 31, 2026, a DCS licensing manager acknowledged that diabetes is a disability protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act and that the state is required to make accommodations for children with the condition.
Pastor said that admission stood out to him in the testimony, "How willing and readily they admitted that these children deserve to have the medicine they needed, and admitting that they knew this was a disability, they knew they had to accommodate it.”
Pastor also pointed to deposition testimony confirming there was no specific training given to group homes on the care and management of Type 1 diabetes before Christian's death in July 2024.
"If you looked at those two cases in the pattern and behavior, you see that the Department of Child Safety put both children in group homes that were poorly trained and had zero knowledge or understanding of the disease," Pastor said.
Last month, Pastor sent a letter to the Department of Justice asking federal officials to investigate whether DCS has a pattern of discriminating against children with disabilities.
"We need someone to come in who is not within the Department of Child Safety, because under the current administration, they're unwilling to be critical of themselves. Take accountability and do what's needed to make sure other children don't die," Pastor said.
Christian Williams was 15 years old when Mesa police body camera video captured him being found unconscious in July 2024.
The medical examiner ruled Williams died from diabetic ketoacidosis, a preventable condition caused by not having enough insulin.
Police records show he had been allowed to refuse his insulin, and when group home staff finally called 911, it was too late.
"They failed us," his mother, Bobbie Williams, said.
Jacob Blodgett was 9 years old when he died from the same condition in December 2022. Records show group home staff also allowed him to refuse his life-saving medication.
"How could they have done this? How in the world could they have not taken care of someone with those medical needs?" said Cheryl Doenges, Jacob's grandmother.
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The deposition also revealed that there is no written DCS policy, procedure, rule, law, directive, or memo stating that children can refuse necessary medical care.
Pastor said the sworn testimony makes clear that DCS knew insulin was life or death for children with Type 1 diabetes.
"What we've discovered is that both of these boys had a recognized disability. They were entitled to receive the medication they needed to stay alive," Pastor said.
This would not be the first time DCS has faced federal scrutiny. In 2024, the DOJ's Civil Rights Division found DCS discriminated against parents and children with hearing disabilities and forced the agency to make changes.
"How many more disabled children are they ignoring? Are they not accommodating? Or how many other parents are they discriminating against because that parent has a disability?" Pastor said.
The DOJ would not comment on the call for a federal investigation.
A spokesperson for DCS also would not comment on the letter or its contents, as there is pending litigation with the two families.
However, DCS did say that since 2024 it has made changes, including new training for kids with complex medical issues, a diabetes field guide, and care kits as well.
Statement from DCS:
Since 2024, we have implemented changes to better support children with diabetes and the caregivers responsible for their well-being.
We recognize that caring for a child with diabetes can feel overwhelming, so we partnered with Creighton University to create a free training course to provide caregivers with the knowledge and tools needed to support a child’s diabetes care. The course is designed for anyone who cares for or works with children who have diabetes, including parents, foster and kinship caregivers, teachers and school staff, social workers, and childcare providers. Group home employees who work with children who have complex medical needs are required to take the training.
The course helps caregivers understand the differences between Type-1 and Type-2 diabetes; recognize warning signs of high or low blood sugar; know what questions to ask when a child with diabetes is placed in their care; how to collaborate effectively with medical providers and schools; and where to access important tools and resources.
In addition, we have created a field guide on diabetes in collaboration with medical experts from local hospitals. The field guide provides information on proper diabetes management; how to monitor and administer medication; and what DCS Specialists should look for on cases that involve a child with diabetes.
We also ensure that diabetes care kits are available at our welcome center so children entering care or experiencing placement disruption have their immediate medical and daily care needs addressed promptly and appropriately.
This story was written and reported by a journalist and revised with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
