State lawmakers in Arizona approved emergency funding for the state’s child welfare agency to cover a budget shortfall in housing children in group homes. The Joint Legislative Budget Committee voted to allow the Department of Child Safety to use surpluses in other parts of its budget to prevent children from having to sleep in welcome centers or DCS offices. While some Republicans criticized Governor Katie Hobbs’ administration for the financial mismanagement that led to the shortfall, Democrats and Hobbs’ office defended the request as routine and common practice.
Meanwhile, a much larger budget hole in the state’s Division of Developmental Disabilities, estimated at $122 million, remains unresolved. Republican lawmakers blocked a bill to fund this deficit, drawing criticism from Democrats who accuse them of prioritizing political games over helping disabled children. The future of a funding plan for DDD is uncertain, with concerns that a budget deal may not be reached before the agency runs out of money. This ongoing financial crisis highlights the challenges facing Arizona’s social services sector and the political tensions surrounding budget allocations.
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