U.S. Department
of Justice
Arizona Department of Child Safety
On December 16, 2024, the United States announced its findings that the State of Arizona's Department of Child Safety (DCS), violates Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by discriminating against parents, including foster parents and other caregivers, and children with disabilities. The United States found that DCS failed to communicate effectively with parents and children with hearing disabilities, including by not providing interpreters. DCS also failed to reasonably accommodate the needs of parents with disabilities by, for example, not providing information in a simplified form. Finally, DCS denies parents with disabilities an equal chance to participate in and benefit from DCS programs and services. The United States' letter asks DCS to develop and implement changes to policies and procedures to ensure parents and children with disabilities are not discriminated against in DCS programs and services, train its employees on ADA compliance, and take other measures to redress the discrimination.