The Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) has recently chosen not to renew contracts with 16 group home providers, affecting approximately 200 children in the state's foster care system, as reported by Arizona's Family. These decisions come alongside serious allegations of mistreatment by one of the providers, We Care Homes, which were brought to light by an ABC15 Investigators report.
DCS explained that the non-renewals align with a predicted decrease in the need for congregate care; providers such as Ohana, L's House, and Village De Amor expressed their shock at the decision and the potential repercussions for the children and their employees, as communicated by their CEOs and directors who, some mentioned how they were blindsided by this move, others highlighted the anxiety over explaining to the children that they must relocate, as per a statements obtained by Arizona's Family.
The decision to end the contract with We Care Homes followed allegations such as children being denied food and left unsupervised; in a statement to ABC15, CEO Veronica Johnson disputed some allegations while emphasizing their dedication to healing and creating a supportive environment for the children in their care. We Care Homes has been operating for ten years prior to these events.
In response to the broader contract terminations, DCS insists on a systematic approach utilizing Requests for Proposal (RFP), where disciplinary actions are only part of the criteria used to evaluate a provider's suitability. Affirming their intention to relocate the affected children into family settings when possible, DCS' commitment to fewer congregate care placements aims to foster better outcomes for children by increasing family-like settings, including kinship support and fostering sustainable connections. According to a detailed plan relayed by the department, this information was brought to us by Arizona's Family.
