A state audit of Arizona's Department of Child Safety has found that the agency's process of removing children from homes is inconsistent and may result in unnecessary child removals.
According to thereport released Wednesday by the state Auditor General, the agency doesn't have a uniform set of guidelines for caseworkers to follow when evaluating a child's safety risk. Case workers write descriptions of what they've observed, but a lack of specific criteria could lead to poor decision-making, the audit states.
The report also noted a lack of services to support families and children as well as inadequate training for supervisors and caseworkers.
A DCS spokesman says the agency agrees with the report and will make improvements based on its recommendations.
