The best setting for abused or neglected children who are removed from their homes is a family-based setting, such as with a relative or in licensed foster care. Because it is not family-based, congregate care, such as emergency shelters, group homes, and residential treatment centers, is the least preferred placement option. However, the number of Arizona children and the length of time they are in congregate care has increased and as a result, the costs for this placement type nearly doubled between fiscal years 2009 and 2013. Contributing to the increase in congregate care use is an inadequate supply of foster care homes; various state practices, including some related to permanency goals and activities; and inadequate access to behavioral health services. Although the Arizona Department of Child Safety has taken some steps to reduce the use of congregate care, it should consider other states’ experiences to identify multiple strategies for reducing its use.

The Division of Children, Youth and Families is the state administered child welfare services agency responsible for developing the Child and Family Services Plan and administering the title IV-B programs under the plan. The Division provides child protective services; services within the Promoting Safe and Stable Families program; family support, preservation, and reunification services; family foster care and kinship care services; services to promote the safety, permanence, and well-being of children with foster and adoptive families; adoption promotion and support services; and health care services for children in out-of-home care.

The intent of this guide is to:
• Provide agricultural operators with information and guidance on how to effectively implement individual best management practices.
• Inform the general public about the efforts Maricopa County farmers are implementing to improve air quality.
• Provide Natural Resource Conservation Districts and other farm organizations with background information regarding the agricultural PM10 general permit.
• Provide regulators with information and guidance on how to determine compliance with the agricultural PM10 general permit.

The intent of this guide is to provide information and guidance on how to effectively implement best management practices. It is based on the best information currently available; later publications may be issued to update this document. This guide represents the first step in helping farmers reduce PM10 emissions from farmlands located within the Maricopa County PM10 non-attainment area.

For a community to take full advantage of the opportunities provided in the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003, it must first prepare a Community Wildfire Protection Plan. Maricopa County, partner agencies, and participating communities wish to adopt a Plan to better protect their communities from wildfire risk, to better prepare citizens, and to become eligible to apply for and receive federal and other grant monies to implement wildland fire mitigation and programs.

This Protocol, initially developed in 1995, is offered to coordinate the involvement and interaction of each agency in Maricopa County involved with providing care, treatment, and assistance to all children, whether victims or witnesses, where criminal conduct is suspected. This Protocol serves to ensure each child is treated with dignity, fairness, and respect and protected from harassment, intimidation, or abuse, and to minimize the secondary trauma that can accompany investigations of criminal conduct.

This Light Rail Transit corridor market analysis was done to identify and evaluate market-based development opportunities around planned light rail transit stations in the cities of Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa.This report presents the findings and recommendations for each of the 12 highest-rated opportunity sites along the LRT corridor. This final document is intended to inform discussions among Valley Metro Rail, the participating cities, and prospective developers about the types of uses that could be developed on each of those sites, and how that development should be pursued and promoted.