Carine Werner's Push to Reform Arizona's Child Welfare System Reaches Governor's Desk

Two bills designed to strengthen protections for vulnerable children in Arizona are now sitting on Governor Katie Hobbs' (D-AZ) desk, waiting for her signature after passing the state legislature with bipartisan support.

The legislation was sponsored by Senator Carine Werner (R-AZ), who chairs the Senate Health & Human Services Committee.

Werner says the bills came out of months of hearings that exposed serious problems in how Arizona handles child abuse cases and the foster care system, including slow responses to abuse reports, poor communication between agencies, and gaps in protecting kids already in state care.

The first bill, SB 1631, targets how the state responds when a child reports sexual abuse. Under the new law, a trained forensic interviewer must speak with the child either immediately or within 72 hours of the report.

Right now, there is no such statewide deadline. There are limited exceptions, for example, if a child is in the hospital or can't be reached, but the department would have to document the reason for any delay. Supporters say quicker interviews help preserve evidence and spare children from having to repeatedly recount their trauma.

Strengthening Representation for Kids

The second bill, SB 1496, tackles a wider range of foster care issues. It would strengthen legal representation for kids in court, expand their rights while in state care, improve procedures for finding children who go missing from foster care, and make it easier to place children with relatives.

It also prohibits the state from dipping into children's federal benefits to cover the cost of their own care, something advocates have long criticized, and creates protections for kids who report that their rights were violated.

Werner was direct about why she pushed for these reforms. "When a child finds the courage to disclose sexual abuse, every hour that passes is an hour evidence can disappear, memories can fade, and a predator can continue harming children," she said.

She added that the bills are about "putting children first, improving accountability, and making sure Arizona responds with the urgency vulnerable children deserve."