PHOENIX — After three high-profile child murders, calls mount for reforms to Arizona's child welfare agency.
As legislators and stakeholders met in a closed-door meeting at the Arizona Capitol, Governor Katie Hobbs is calling for a deliberate approach to reforming the state's child welfare agency.
The Department of Child Safety has come under scrutiny in the last six months after the murders of three girls with connections to the DCS system.
Emily Pike, 14, a San Carlos Apache foster child, ran away from a DCS-licensed foster home in Mesa and was found dead near Globe in February.
Zariah Dodd, 16, walked away from her group home in early July and was found shot dead in a Phoenix park. Prosecutors have charged two men, including a 36-year-old alleged impregnated her.
Rebekah Baptiste, 10, died in late July. DCS caseworkers had been involved with the family for years. Rebekah's dad and his girlfriend are now charged with murder and child abuse.
Their deaths have raised questions about how DCS handles hotline calls, investigates reports of abuse, coordinates with police, and responds when foster kids run away.
"We're not going to solve this with knee-jerk reactions," Hobbs said at a bill signing event Wednesday morning. "We have to do a deep dive and really look at the points where the system didn't work the way it should work."
Hobbs said some changes could be administrative, but others may need legislative approval.
"I want to make sure we do this right and that we are focused on protecting the most vulnerable Arizonans," Hobbs said.
DCS investigates more than 40,000 reports of abuse or neglect annually. Currently, there are more than 8,000 Arizona kids in out-of-home care.
