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Arizona Department of Child Safety
Phone: Child Abuse Hotline 1-888-767-2445
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Arizona Department of Child Safety
CLICK to Report Child Abuse or Neglect
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  • Home
  • About
    • About DCS
    • Administration
      • Mike Faust, DCS Director
    • Engage
    • Field Offices
    • Policy & Procedure
      • DCS Policy & Procedure
      • DCS Rules & Rulemaking
      • DCS Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
      • DCS Non-Discrimination Policy
      • DCS Limited English Proficiency Policy
    • Strategic Plan
    • Procurement & Contracts
    • Community Advisory Committee
    • Volunteer / Community
      • Get Involved
      • Community Partners
      • Community / Volunteer Interest Form
      • FACT Program
    • Contact DCS
  • Careers
    • Career Opportunities
      • DCS Specialist / DCS Trainee
      • DCS Child Welfare Investigative Specialist (OCWI)
    • Open Positions at DCS
    • We are Compassioneers
  • News & Reports
    • News Releases
    • DCS Reports
    • Performance Measures
      • DCS Monthly / Semi-Annual Report
      • Agency Progress
    • Child Fatalities / Near Fatalities
    • Process for Release of Info
    • Settlement - Tinsley v. Faust
  • Parents
    • Parent Guide
    • Parents Rights
    • Parent Advisory Collaborative
  • Foster & Adoption
    • Foster Care
      • Steps for Becoming a Foster Parent
      • Is Foster Parenting Right for Me?
      • Foster Care Licensing Agency Matrix
      • Foster Care Information Session Events
    • Adoption
      • Adoption Stories
    • Children's Heart Gallery
    • Search AdoptUSKids
    • Foster & Kinship Caregiver Go-To-Guide
    • Foster & Kinship FAQ's
      • Foster Resources
      • Kinship Resources
    • AZ Thrive Newsletter
  • Resource
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Request DCS Information
    • Complaint or Disagreement
      • Ombudsman Complaint Form
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  • Services
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      • Members
      • Providers
      • Behavioral Health
      • Announcements
      • CMDP Provider Manual
      • Child Welfare Resources
      • Newsletters
      • Connecting Communities
      • Your Opinion Matters
      • LEP- Limited English Proficiency
    • Prevention
      • Safe Sleep
      • Arizona Families F.I.R.S.T.
      • Healthy Families Arizona
      • Regional Child Abuse Prevention Councils
      • In-Home Services Program
      • Resources for Parents
      • Back-To-School Resources and Tips for Parents
    • Investigations and OCWI
    • Office of Licensing & Regulation (OLR)
    • Young Adult
      • Young Adult Program
      • Young Adult Resources
      • Transitional Independent (TILP)
      • National Youth in Transition Database
    • Victims' Rights
  • Report Child Abuse
    • Child Abuse Hotline
    • Mandated Reporter Overview Training
    • Safe Haven Newborn

Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions

Child Abuse and Neglect

Where can a report be made?

A report can be made to the DCS Statewide Toll-Free Child Abuse Hotline at 1-888-767-2445, (1-888-SOS-CHILD) or law enforcement office. When reporting, the following information if known will be requested:

  • name, age, and gender of child and other family members
  • address, phone numbers, and/or directions to child's home
  • parents' place of employment
  • description of suspected abuse or neglect
  • current condition of the child

What is child abuse and neglect?

When a parent, guardian or custodian inflicts or allows the infliction of physical, sexual or emotional abuse, neglect, exploitation or abandonment. There are several types of abuse and neglect:

  1. Physical abuse includes non-accidental physical injuries such as bruises, broken bones, burns, cuts or other injuries.
  2. Sexual abuse occurs when sex acts are performed with children. Using children in pornography, prostitution or other types of sexual activity is also sexual abuse.
  3. Neglect occurs when children are not given necessary care for illness or injury. Neglect also includes leaving young children unsupervised or alone, locked in or out of the house, or without adequate clothing, food, or shelter. Allowing children to live in a very dirty house which could be a health hazard may also be considered neglect.
  4. Emotional abuse of a child is evidenced by severe anxiety, depression, withdrawal or improper aggressive behavior as diagnosed by a medical doctor or psychologist, and caused by the acts or omissions of the parent or caretaker.
  5. Exploitation means use of a child by a parent, guardian or custodian for material gain.
  6. Abandonment means the failure of the parent to provide reasonable support and to maintain regular contact with the child, including providing normal supervision, when such failure is intentional and continues for an indefinite period.

Education

Can I get assistance obtaining school supplies?

You can request that the child's DCS case manager provide you with the educational allowance up to $82.50 per year to cover books, supplies, course fees, student services, and PE fees/equipment.

Several organizations also provide backpacks and school supplies to children in foster care, including:

  • Helen's Hope Chest (located in Maricopa County)
  • Jose's Closet (located in Maricopa County)
  • Arizona Friends of Foster Care Foundation (statewide)
  • AZ Helping Hands (located in Maricopa County)

Is daycare available for the child in my care?

Child care is available for children in care and DCS may partially or fully cover the daycare fees depending on the facility you choose.

Children in foster care who are between 3 and 5 years old are also eligible for Head Start and are moved to the top of the waiting list. Children in foster care from birth to 3 years of age are eligible for Early Head Start services. Click here for more information. You can also call (866) 763-6481 to locate a Head Start or Early Head Start in your area.

Child Care Resources and Referral can help you find quality child care in your area. You can also contact this resource by calling (800) 308-9000.

Is there someplace I can get school uniforms for the child in care?

Several organizations provide school uniforms for foster children, including:

  • Helen's Hope Chest (located in Maricopa County)
  • Jose's Closet (located in Maricopa County)

Some schools and school districts have clothing banks for school uniforms. Please call your local school or school district to ask if they have this resource.

Agua Fria Food Bank provides emergency food boxes and school uniforms (during back to school season); the food bank serves the Goodyear, Avondale, Tolleson, and Tonopha area. ID and proof of address is required. For more information call 623-932-9135.

How can I locate a child care provider?

First Things First's Quality First Program is Arizona's statewide quality improvement and rating system for center and home-based early care and education programs. You can locate child care providers using an easy interactive map, search by location, type of child care, age of your children, and/or quality star ratings.

Child Care Resources and Referral can help you find quality child care in your area. You can contact this resource by calling (800) 308-9000 or visiting their website.

Who pays for graduation expenses?

DCS has a policy in place to reimburse foster parents for some of the costs of graduation up to $220. Ask the child's DCS case manager for more information.

Arizona Friends of Foster Care Foundation (AFFCF) also assists with graduation expenses. You can apply for a grant for the child online here. If you don't hear back within 2 weeks after submitting an application, call AFFCF. If there is a delay, often you just need to ask the DCS case manager to confirm the child's case.

What is the Every Studen Succeeds Act (ESSA)?

ESSA is a federal law that promotes educational continuity and stability for foster children. ESSA will ensure children in foster care will stay in their school of origin if it is in their best interests to do so. ESSA changed section 725 of the McKenney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, removing foster children from their definition of “homeless children and youth.” Therefore, foster children are no longer covered under McKenney-Vento but they are covered under ESSA.

The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) website has additional information regarding foster children; on this website under “training” there is a power point presentation called “ESSA Foster Care 101” that has helpful information about ESSA.

The American Bar Association has published a fact sheet on ESSA and a fact sheet on Fostering Connections Act.

Can I get assistance with extracurricular activities?

Arizona Friends of Foster Care Foundation (AFFCF) provides grants to fund extracurricular activities for children in foster care. You can apply for a grant for the child online here. If you don't hear back within 2 weeks after submitting an application, call AFFCF. If there is a delay, often you just need to ask the DCS case manager to confirm the child's case.

What school should I enroll the child in care into?

ESSA and the Fostering Connections Act both have provisions requiring schools and child welfare agencies (DCS) to work together to help children in foster care remain in their schools of origin when placed into a new home if it is in the child's best interests to do so. There are many considerations when making this decision, but the cost of transportation to the school of origin CANNOT be one of the considerations. It is ultimately the child's DCS case manager's decision regarding school selection.

You can find contact information for your school district's liaison on this webpage under “LEA POC List.” Your school district's liaison will work with the child's DCS case manager to determine school selection, help with the child's immediate enrollment, and will ensure transportation (if needed).

If it is decided that the child will not remain in their school of origin, here are the options to consider:

Public schools – You may choose to enroll the child into the local district school or apply for open enrollment into an out-of-district school.

Charter schools – Children in foster care may be enrolled in a local charter school. One option is Ombudsman Charter Schools (locations in Maricopa County and Tucson), a tuition free charter high school that provides an alternative to traditional high school for students ages 14-21 who are at risk of dropping out or who have dropped out of school and who want to return and earn their diploma. Website

Virtual/online schools – Before enrolling a child who is in foster care into a virtual or online school, get permission from the case manager in writing. Some school districts also have online schools. Some virtual charter schools in Arizona are: AZVA, Connections Academy; and Prima Vera.

Alternative schools – When a child has been expelled from his or her school, ask the district if they have an alternative school that the child can attend in the meantime. When enrolling a child into an alternative school, it is important to work with school administrators to develop a plan of when and how the child can transition back to mainstream schooling.

Homeschooling – While it is unusual for a child in foster care to be homeschooled, it has been permitted under extenuating circumstances. If you wish to homeschool a child in foster care, the case manager must document it as part of the child's written case plan.

Private schools – Permission may be granted to enroll a child who is in foster care into a private school on an individual basis under extenuating circumstances. Enrollment into a private school must be documented by the case manager as part of the child's written case plan.

Do children in foster care and former foster children receive assistance with college or vocational training?

Foster Care to Success helps connect foster youth with former foster youth to help with the transition to adulthood. The organization also offers scholarships, including Education Training Vouchers (ETVs) to help fund the youth's education. ETVs help with higher education expenses for current or former foster youth up to age 23. Click here to learn more about ETVs.

The Arizona foster care tuition waiver is awarded to youth who were in foster care after their 16th birthday. This waiver covers certain school fees and tuition not included in other grants for current or former foster youth up to age 23. To get this waiver, contact the financial aid office of the college you plan to attend. This waiver is available for most Arizona state universities and community colleges. Click here to find out if you may be eligible for the Arizona Tuition Waiver as well as how to sign up for it.

CollegeScholarships.org has some scholarships for children who are or were in foster care.

This website has some scholarships for children who are or were in foster care.

More scholarships are available through the National Foster Parent Association.

Good Call Scholarship Search Engine is a large database of scholarships.

Former foster youth in the Maricopa County Community Colleges Bridging Success Program have access to the many resources of the Maricopa Community Colleges including tutoring, academic counseling, career planning, skill development as well as additional support they may need.

Be a Leader Foundation designs programs that provide a positive learning environment and a college-focused mentality for each participant to develop their high school and college educational plan (4 plus 4 plan). They work directly with middle school and high school students in primarily inner-city schools to engage them in active development of their self-esteem, leadership skills and long term preparation of their 4 plus 4 plan. They also have a program for youth in college called Be A Leader Institute College (BLIC) that provides college students with educational and career path development support. Click here for more information.

If you are having trouble completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) because you are unsure who to list as your parent(s) because your parent(s) are incarcerated or otherwise not in your life, request that the college financial office review your application to see if you qualify for a waiver called a dependency override. Click here for additional information.

Federal Pell Grants are usually awarded only to undergraduate students. Students who are in foster care, aged out of foster care or were adopted out of foster care after reaching age 13 are considered automatically independent on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Often this means that such children have a zero expected family contribution (EFC), which qualifies them for a full Pell Grant. The amount of aid you can receive depends on your financial need, the cost of attendance at your school, and more. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid, except under certain circumstances. Website

The Nina Mason Pulliam Legacy Scholars program is available for young adults, ages 18 – 25, who have experienced foster care or been disconnected from their parents or primary caregiver and are responsible for their own financial support and who will be attending Maricopa Community Colleges or ASU. The Nina Scholars Program provides financial support toward the cost of attendance for up to 6 years at ASU and for up to 4 years at the participating Maricopa Community Colleges, plus it provides program staff at each school to provide coordinated services, group or “cohort” support, and tutorial and/or mentoring assistance. Website

What documents are needed to roll the child in care in school?

According to ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) Foster Care provisions (which went into effect on 12/10/2016), the enrolling school must ensure immediate enrollment of foster children whether or not the foster parent has all of the required documentation. You should be able to enroll the child who is in foster care into the local school or a charter school with only the Notice to Provider that was given to you by the DCS case manager. This means that you do not have to have the birth certificate, immunization records, transcripts, or other required documentation to enroll.

Also, ESSA Foster Care provisions state that the enrolling school is responsible for contacting the child's previous school to request relevant records. The foster parent is not required to obtain the child's school records.

If you are having trouble enrolling the foster child in school, please contact your school district's liaison; you can find contact information for your school district's liaison on this webpage under “LEA POC List.”

How can I obtain tutoring for the child in care?

Most schools have an after-school tutoring program, usually at no cost. Check with the child's school to find out if and when tutoring is available.

Arizona Friends of Foster Care Foundation (AFFCF) will pay for tutoring, but you must get approval first. You can apply for a grant for the child online here. If you don't hear back within 2 weeks after submitting an application, call AFFCF. If there is a delay, often you just need to ask the DCS case manager to confirm the child's case.

Educational Tutorial Services will help you get the referral and get the ball rolling to provide the child with the tutoring he or she needs.

Arizonans for Children provide a free mentor/tutor for any child in care for at least one year. These mentors/tutors can work with the child on educational, emotional, and life skills goals for at least 2 hours each week.

Who is responsible for transporting the child in care if the child remains enrolled in the school of origin?

ESSA is a federal law that promotes educational continuity and stability for foster children. ESSA will ensure children in foster care will stay in their school of origin if it is in their best interests to do so. School districts and child welfare (DCS) will work together to provide, arrange, and fund transportation to and from the school of origin. The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) website has additional information regarding foster children; on this website under “training” there is a power point presentation called “ESSA Foster Care 101” that has helpful information about ESSA.

How can I obtain affordable internet access?

Connect2Compete (C2C) is a national nonprofit program aimed at bridging the digital divide by providing low-cost cable broadband, computer, training, and content salutation. If your child qualifies for the National Free School Lunch Program.

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