Arizona child-welfare agency's performance declared 'unacceptable'

Lawmakers frustrated by a lack of progress and answers from the state's child-welfare agency gave the Department of Child Safety the equivalent of a failing grade on Tuesday.

In a report nearly three months overdue, the agency showed caseworker staffing is down, the backlog of cases is up and work on a new computer system that will streamline the cumbersome reporting process is delayed.

Adding to the frustration of members of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, DCS Director Greg McKay did not attend and did not offer any explanation for his absence.

Rep. Justin Olson, R-Mesa and the panel's co-chairman, suggested it would send the wrong signal for the panel to give its usual "favorable review" to the delayed report. But his suggestion that the committee simply accept the report was overridden when Sen. Steve Farley, D-Tucson, moved to give it an "unfavorable" grade – a motion that was supported on a bipartisan vote that included all committee members except Olson.

Olson said the frustration was palpable, noting that just 18 months ago, he and his colleagues created the new agency to focus attention on reducing the number of child-abuse and child-neglect reports in Arizona. That effort included nearly $60 million in new money to launch DCS, move it out of the Department of Economic Security, beef up staffing and replace its aging computer system.

"We need to be given some evidence of what we're getting for those resources," said Olson, adding that he can't settle for mere promises of improvement.

DCS has asked for an extra $100 million in the coming budget year.

During Tuesday's hearing, Michael Dellner, the agency's deputy director of operations, fielded questions from lawmakers on everything from progress in reducing the backlog of cases to agency turnover. In many cases, he lacked the answers at hand and promised to get back to panelists with details.

For example, the last time the panel met, McKay talked about inviting former staffers and social workers to return on a temporary basis to help the agency cut its backlog of cases. But on Tuesday, Dellner didn't have a number immediately available.

Sen. Steve Yarbrough, R-Chandler, asked why the agency has seen a 9.3 percent decline in caseworkers from June. Dellner said he didn't have specific reasons, but said overall agency turnover averages 33 percent in a year, and is cyclical. In response to a question, he said the agency had not been doing exit interviews to determine workers' reasons for leaving, but surveys and exit interviews are now occurring.

The overall lack of answers, and the backslide on key issues such as staffing, left lawmakers fuming about an agency that has seen the number of children living outside of their families' homes grow to more than 19,000.

"When is enough enough?" Rep. Stefanie Mach, D-Tucson, asked. "I don't really know what is happening. And trust is engendered when you have information."

The information that was presented painted a dreary picture of the agency's progress: Caseworkers numbered 930, fewer than the 1,190 the agency is aiming for, and the backlog of cases was 14,899 as of late November, compared with a hoped-for goal of 1,000.

But Dellner reported the agency has 274 caseworkers in training and is working with "community partners" to cut the backlog. And, he said, the agency is finally closing more cases on a monthly basis than are coming in through the state's child-abuse hotline.

However, the computer system won't be ready until 2018, five years after the Legislature earmarked money for it. That, Farley said, is unacceptable.

"It's certainly not the speed of business, as the governor says," Farley said.

Compounding the frustration was McKay's absence. His office later said JLBC had been notified the director would not be there due to a schedule conflict, but Olson and others said they were surprised he didn't show.

"Typically, directors do present themselves (at hearings)," Olson said.

Reach the reporter at maryjo.pitzl@arizonarepublic.com and follow her on Twitter @maryjpitzl.