Assigned to HHS FOR COMMITTEE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, Second Regular Session
FACT SHEET FOR H.B. 2454
kinship foster care; hearings; reports
Purpose
Specifies that the requirement that the Department of Child Safety (DCS) file
documentation with the court regarding attempts made to contact a child's adult relatives or persons
with a significant relationship to the child (kinship caregivers) applies to each subsequent review
and report or permanency planning hearing after the child is taken into temporary custody.
Background
DCS was established with the primary purpose of protecting children. Required DCS duties
necessary to achieve that purpose include: 1) investigating reports of abuse and neglect;
2) assessing, promoting and supporting the safety of a child in a safe and stable family; 3) working
cooperatively with law enforcement regarding reports that include criminal conduct allegations;
and 4) without compromising child safety, coordinating services to achieve and maintain
permanency on behalf of the child, strengthen the family and provide child-safety prevention,
intervention and treatment services (A.R.S. § 8-451).
If a child is taken into temporary custody, as part of the ongoing search, DCS must use due
diligence in an initial search to identify and notify any kinship caregivers within 30 days. The
placement of a child who is in DCS custody is determined by the best interests of the child, and
DCS must establish kinship foster care services for a child who has been removed from the child's
home (A.R.S. §§ 8-514.03 and 8-514.07). In 2023, the Legislature passed H.B. 2313, which
prescribed various procedures for DCS to follow when conducting a search to identify a child's
kinship caregivers, including that DCS must file documentation with the court regarding attempts
made to identify and notify any kinship caregivers within 30 days of the child being taken into
temporary custody and at each subsequent hearing (Laws 2023, Ch. 87).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this
legislation.
Provisions
1. Specifies that DCS must file documentation with the court at each review and report hearing
or permanency planning hearing regarding attempts made by DCS to identify and notify a
child's kinship caregivers within 30 days of the child being taken into temporary custody.
2. Makes technical changes.
3. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
FACT SHEET
H.B. 2454
Page 2
House Action
HHS 1/29/24 DP 10-0-0-0
3
rd
Read 2/20/24 57-0-2-0-1
Prepared by Senate Research
March 1, 2024
MM/KS/slp