Arizona

The Arizona Thriving Families Safer Children Core Team is dedicated to advancing racial equity by addressing the disparities and disproportionality that Black families face in the child welfare system. Collaborating with community partners, the team has implemented several key initiatives to promote the transformation of the child welfare system into a family wellbeing system.

In 2022, with support from Prevent Child Abuse America and the Kellogg Foundation, a lived experience fellowship was created, bringing those with firsthand experience into leadership roles within the Arizona TFSC Core Team. These Lived Experts now co-lead the state’s efforts, focusing on the implementation of the Cultural Brokers Family Advocate Model (CBFA). This initiative pairs child welfare workers with African American community leaders to ensure culturally responsive practices and to reduce biases in decision-making.

Arizona’s Department of Child Safety, under new leadership appointed by Governor Katie Hobbs in 2023, has made equity a top priority. This commitment is evident in the department’s support for the Cultural Brokers program and other impactful initiatives.

One such initiative is the Next Event Analysis Study, conducted by Mathematica, which examined the types of child welfare reports that do not require protective intervention. Insights from lived experience experts helped shape the study, which aims to reduce unnecessary interventions.

Another important project, Lean On Me AZ, began in 2020 with Prevent Child Abuse Arizona and Casey Family Programs. This messaging strategy encourages communities to shift from a culture of surveillance to one of support for families, emphasizing the role everyone plays in strengthening families.

The ‘Considering Yourself a Mandated Supporter’ training, designed with input from lived experts and supported by Arizona’s Department of Child Safety, educates mandated reporters on their role in connecting families to support, while addressing biases and promoting a strength-based approach.

The Pilgrim Rest Community Hub in South Phoenix, recognized for its expertise in supporting African American families, is receiving expanded funding to prevent unnecessary DCS interventions. This family resource center exemplifies the community-centered approach that the Arizona TFSC Core Team advocates for, aiming to create a statewide network of family resource centers that meet the unique needs of their communities.

Through these initiatives and partnerships, the Arizona TFSC Core Team is working to create a more equitable child welfare system, ensuring that all families have access to the support they need.