Frequently Asked Questions

State law (see A.R.S. 8-807 I ) allows an individual to petition the Superior Court to request that the Court review the records and tell the Department which records can be released.

Requests may be emailed, faxed or mailed as indicated on the contact us page.

The more information you provide with your request, the faster the Department will be able to respond to your request. Please provide as much information as possible, including full names and dates of birth for the child, the parents and the alleged perpetrator (if a caregiver other than a parent).

The Records Coordinator will notify you when the request has been received, will provide you with periodic updates on the status of the request, and will provide the records to you once they are available.

Arizona's statutes (laws) do not designate an age when a child can be left alone. A parent is responsible for the decisions he or she makes about their children being left alone.  The law does require however, that the Arizona Department of Economic Security, Department of Child Safety (DCS) investigate reports of neglect which include failure to provide supervision that places a child at substantial risk of harm. Leaving children alone is included in the category of supervision.

DCS will take a report when a child, who is not capable of caring for him or herself or other children, is left alone. When calls come into DCS, specific questions are asked to help determine if there is a problem for the child. These may include: Does the child know how to reach the parent? Does the child know how to get emergency help? Is there a neighbor to go to? Is someone checking in on the child?

Sometimes police are called to the home. Before removing children, police will often try to make contact with the parent or other responsible person to come and supervise the children. The police are required to report this information to DCS. This could result in a DCS Specialist contacting the children and parent about the report and making an assessment of any needed services.  Parents must use good judgment about their children's capabilities, as they are ultimately responsible. We hope this helps in providing an answer to your question. If you need additional information or wish to speak to someone from DCS, call the Child Abuse Hotline: at 1-888-767-2445.

For all medical emergencies, dial 911 immediately. For a behavioral health crisis involving the child in your home, contact the Regional Behavioral Health Authority (RBHA) crisis line for your county:

Maricopa County: 1-800-631-1314 or 602-222-9444
Pima County — 1-800-796-6762 or 520-622-6000
Gila River/Ak-Chin Indian Community — 1-800-259-3449
Yuma, LaPaz, Pinal, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, Cochise and Santa Cruz Counties — 1-866-495-6735
Mohave, Coconino, Apache, Navajo and Yavapai Counties — 1-877-756-4090 For emergent suicide prevention, if you can't reach anyone on the county line, you can call one of twonationwide 24/7 hotlines:
Hope Line Suicide Hotline or 1-800-784-2433
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 1-800-273-8255
Click here for information about accessing crisis services for your child.

A licensing inquiry occurs when OLCR/OLR formally requests the licensing agency to investigate possible licensing violations within the foster home. A licensing inquiry is not an allegation of neglect or abuse; rather, it is an investigation to determine if licensing regulations, especially those contained in Title 21, Article 10, and Article 11, have been violated. Common licensing concerns include discipline violations, life-safety concerns and supervision issues. Licensing inquiries can also occur when families fail to disclose information to the licensing agency such as changes in household composition or significant changes in household finances.

When OLCR/OLR makes the decision to request a licensing inquiry, the licensing agency is notified along with the GAL, DCS worker and supervisors within the agencies. This notification comes through an e-mail from OLCR/OLR. Depending on the nature of the concerns, an unannounced visit may occur. If an unannounced visit is not needed, the licensing worker simply contacts the family to arrange a visit. For the agency, the licensing inquiry process is outlined in detail by OLCR/OLR. The licensing worker will discuss the specific concerns with the family. The licensing worker may also need to interview other household members. Usually, the licensing worker will need to interview the children in the home. After all of the information is gathered, the licensing worker generates a report. The report will indicate whether or not any licensing violations were found.

The inquiry report is generated by the licensing agency in partnership with the family. The family is expected to cooperate with the agency by fully disclosing any requested information. Families will be provided a redacted copy of the licensing report after it is submitted to OLCR/OLR. If a family feels that they have been treated unfairly or inaccurately represented, they may contact the persons listed on the Supplemental Notice of Inspection form that would have been provided by the worker at the time of the visit. The licensing agency has the final authority regarding what is contained in the licensing inquiry report.