An Arizona Senate committee passed three bills Wednesday aimed at reforming the Department of Child Safety and improving conditions in group homes. The legislation, which follows the 2025 murders of three girls known to the child welfare system, includes measures such as enhanced security, random drug testing for workers, and expanded rights for children, officials said.
The three bills, which had previously passed the Arizona House, now await full Senate consideration following their approval Wednesday morning by an Arizona Senate committee, according to legislative records. House Bill 2611, a centerpiece of the package, focuses on improving conditions in group homes licensed by the Department of Child Safety (DCS). The bill mandates random drug testing for group home workers, additional training requirements, enhanced security monitoring to prevent children from going missing, and expanded rights for children residing in these facilities, officials said.
Records show DCS received 19 alerts about her situation but failed to act, according to a notice of claim filed by her mother.
The legislation comes in the wake of the 2025 murders of three girls known to Arizona’s child welfare system, including the July 2025 death of 10-year-old Rebekah Baptiste, who suffered months of severe abuse. Rebekah’s father and his girlfriend have been charged with her murder. Attorney Matt Boatman, representing the family, said the agency misclassified reports and declined to remove the child despite clear signs of danger.
Testimony before lawmakers has highlighted ongoing concerns about group home conditions. Hayden L’Heureux, a former foster group home resident, described poor living environments faced by youth in care. A foster teen who spoke in support of HB2611 said the bill “gives us protection” and holds adults accountable. Richilyn Fox, a former foster mother of Zariah Dodd—one of the murdered girls—also testified in favor of the reforms during House committee hearings last week.
In addition to HB2611, the legislative package includes House Bill 2035, which makes kinship care presumptive. The bill requires DCS to provide a written explanation whenever a child is placed outside of relative or known adult care, strengthening existing rules to prioritize kinship placements. A separate House bill similarly aims to increase kinship placements for foster children. These measures respond to criticism from the National Coalition for Child Protection Reform (NCCPR), which released data March 17 showing that Phoenix DCS separates children from families at the highest rate among large U.S. cities and institutionalizes 41% of children entering foster care—more than two and a half times the national average.
The NCCPR’s executive director, Richard Wexler, called Arizona’s approach a “long, ugly tradition” of destroying families. The coalition also criticized Governor Katie Hobbs for increasing funding to group homes and foster parent pay while cutting support for kinship care. Wexler warned that DCS may continue to equate child removals with safety, a practice he labeled the “Big Lie of American child welfare.”
Arizona DCS Director Kathryn Ptak testified before lawmakers on March 5, 2026, addressing the agency’s caseloads and shortages of foster homes for teenagers. She explained challenges in balancing enforcement and service delivery within DCS operations. Lawmakers advancing the bills described the proposed reforms as necessary systemic changes. An ABC15 investigation titled “DCS: State of Failure,” published after the 2025 murders, prompted legislative promises to overhaul the child welfare system, including proposals for cross-training between DCS and law enforcement agencies.
The House Government Committee passed all six child welfare bills on Thursday, with debates marked by heated exchanges over the best approach to reform. The bills cover a range of issues, including kinship placements, independent oversight of DCS, and improved responses to abuse reports. The legislative process continues as the Senate prepares for full consideration of the bills in the coming weeks.
Comments are closed.