PHOENIX — Thousands of cases of suspected child abuse that were reported to a statewide hotline have gone uninvestigated over the past four years, putting children across Arizona at risk, state officials disclosed Thursday.
The cases were misclassified as not requiring investigations starting in 2009. The number rapidly escalated in the past 20 months as case-loads increased and changes were made to the hotline team.
Or the 6,000 cases that were not investigated, 5,000 happened in that time, and all will be reviewed, Carter said. At least 125 cases already have been identified where children subsequently became the subject of another child abuse investigation.
Arizona’s Child Protective Services department has been one of Governor Jan Brewer’s major priorities. She got approval from the Legislature in January for emergency funding for 50 new caseworkers and regular funding for 150 more in the budget year that began July 1.