Parents

Parent’s Guide to the Arizona Department of Child Safety

If you are reading this, you are most likely involved with the Department of Child Safety (DCS), or perhaps you would like to know more about Arizona’s Department of Child Safety.

We are glad that you are reading this guide, as we hope it helps you better understand Arizona’s Department of Child Safety, and will guide you in your journey to strengthen your family. The child welfare system in Arizona is administered by the Department of Child Safety.

Think of this guide as a tool to help you learn about:

  • Laws within Arizona and policies within DCS that direct the actions and decisions of DCS Specialist and the juvenile court system
  • People whom you will meet, the service systems they work in, and their roles with your child and family
  • How to support your family’s rights (your own and your children’s)
  • Your responsibilities as a parent when involved with Arizona’s Department of Child Safety
  • Practical tips on navigating the Department of Child Safety

HOW DO I FIND INFORMATION IN THE GUIDE?

The guide is designed to follow a family’s path through the Department of Child Safety from the time of first contact with a DCS Specialist. The common questions people have regarding the Department of Child Safety are listed in the table of contents with the page numbers. Download a copy of the Parent Guide.

Click on a section below to learn more.

Parent Guide

Section 1

Describes what the Department of Child Safety (DCS) is about, what it does, and what happens when families become involved with the Department.

Download Section

Section 2

Describes the Department of Child Safety. This section describes what the different parts of DCS do, and what families can expect when they become involved with the Department of Child Safety.

Download Section

Section 3

Describes case planning. This process is meant to help everyone (you, your child, the Department, and others involved with your family) to come up with a plan for making changes so that your child will be safe and can live in your home.

Download Section

Section 4

Describes the Arizona juvenile court system. This section is designed to help you understand how the court systems work, if your family becomes involved in the dependency process.

Download Section

Section 5

Describes how you and your family can participate in services in your own home including the services offered by the Department of Child Safety and in the community that will help your child remain at home.

Download Section

Section 6

Discusses how out of home placements work. If your child needs to leave your home for a period of time, this section will help you understand where your child might live, how the foster care system works, and what may happen after your child leaves out of home care.

Download Section

Section 7

Discusses the kinds of services and choices for permanent living arrangements that are available to children and families. This section will help you understand the circumstances that may result in a different permanent living arrangement for your child.

Download Section

Section 8

Describes the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). This section explains how the laws are different when your child is an enrolled member of a tribe or is eligible for membership.

Download Section

Section 9

Provides a summary of your rights and responsibilities as a parent when you are involved with the Department of Child Safety.

Download Section

Section 10

Introduces approaches that are taken by the Department of Child Safety to work along with families and their children.

Download Section

Glossary

A list of terms that are commonly used by DCS, the courts, and in this guide. If you do not know a term, you can look at the list to find out what it means.

Download Section

Resources

Finally, a section on resources describes where you can get more information or help.

Download Section

 

HOW CAN I USE THIS GUIDE TO HELP MY FAMILY?

There are many different ways to use this guide. Some of these include:

  • You can use it on your own You can talk about it with other members of your family and friends
  • You and your DCS Specialist can review it together
  • You can review it with your attorney
  • You can review it with other families who are involved with DCS

PRACTICAL TIPS FOR FAMILIES

You do not need to read the entire guide cover to cover. You might find some sections more useful than others. You can use the table of contents to find the questions or content areas that are most important to you. If you have questions while reading the guide you can ask for clarification from your DCS Specialist, service providers who are working with your family, or your Attorney (if you have one).