Establishment and Maintenance of Central Registries for Child Abuse or Neglect Reports - Arizona

Date: January 2024

Establishment

Citation: Rev. Stat. § 8-804(A)

The Department of Child Safety shall maintain a central registry.

Purpose

Citation: Rev. Stat. §§ 8-804; 8-804.01

The department shall use the information in the central registry for the following purposes:

  • As a factor to determine qualifications for any of the following:
  • Foster home licensing
  • Adoptive parent certification
  • Individuals who apply for child welfare agency licensing
  • Child care home certification
  • Registration of unregulated child care homes with the child care resource and referral system
  • Home and community-based services certification for services to children or vulnerable adults
  • An adult who works in a group home, residential treatment center, shelter, or other congregate care setting 
  • As a factor to determine qualifications for persons who are employed or who are applying for employment with the State, or contractors and their employees, in positions that provide direct service to children
  • As a factor to determine qualifications for individuals who are employed or who are applying for employment with a child welfare agency in positions that provide direct service to children
  • To provide information to licensees that do not contract with the State regarding persons who are employed or seeking employment to provide direct services to children
  • To identify and review reports concerning individual children and families in order to facilitate the assessment of safety and risk
  • To determine the nature and scope of child abuse and neglect in this State and to provide statewide statistical and demographic information concerning trends in child abuse and neglect
  • To allow comparisons of this State's statistical data with national data
  • To comply with § 8-804.01(B), which allows use of the records for the following:
    • To assess the safety and risk to a child when conducting an investigation or identification of abuse or neglect
    • To determine placement for a child, including determining what is the least restrictive setting
    • To determine the type and level of services and treatment provided to the child and the child's family
    • To assist in a criminal investigation or prosecution of child abuse or neglect
    • To meet Federal and State reporting requirements

Contents

Citation: Rev. Stat. § 8-804(A)-(B)

A finding made by a court pursuant to § 8-844(C) that a child is dependent based upon an allegation of abuse or neglect shall be recorded as a substantiated finding of abuse or neglect. The registry will maintain reports of child abuse and neglect that are substantiated and the outcome of investigations.

Maintenance

Citation: Rev. Stat. §§ 8-804; 8-804.01

If the department received a report before September 1, 1999, and determined that the report was substantiated, the department shall maintain the report in the central registry until 18 years from the child victim's date of birth.

If the department received a report on or after September 1, 1999, and determined that the report was substantiated, the department shall maintain the report in the central registry for a maximum of 25 years after the date of the report.

All reports of child abuse and neglect and related records shall be maintained in the department's case management information system in accordance with the timeframes established in the department's records retention schedule.

Tags

Related Resources