Phoenix New Times | The Leading Independent News Source in Phoenix, Arizona

Another Child's Death Shows Ame Deal's Murder Hasn't Changed the System Enough

By Sean Holstege

Dec 13, 2017

Seven-year-old Sanaa Cunningham of Goodyear is the latest victim of child abuse in Maricopa County

Teens Plead Guilty to Turning Menorah Into Swastika in Chandler

By Sean Holstege

Aug 17, 2017

County Attorney Bill Montgomery sees incident as an opportunity "to engage in the process of teaching civic virtue to each succeeding generation and the meaning of what it is to be an American."

Warrior Dad: A Father's Journey Into Arizona's Flawed Juvenile Justice System

By Amy Silverman

Jun 7, 2017

Steve Renner wanted a son more than anything. Now, more than anything, he wants someone to help his namesake get mental-health treatment.

How Brutal Was 10-Year-Old Ame Deal's Life? We May Find Out When Murder Trial Begins

By Sean Holstege

May 30, 2017

Reaction to the death of 10-year-old who was locked in plastic box in July was supposed to spur changes to Arizona's child protection system. The jury is still out but many say the system has improved.

Bill Montgomery Jumps on Blue Whale Tale, Warns Parents of Unproven Suicide Game

By Ray Stern

May 24, 2017

Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery asked the media on Wednesday to warn parents of an alleged online game called "Blue Whale," which teens "win" by committing suicide. But there's no evidence that suicides in the United States have been linked to the game, and reports from Russia about a widespread problem have been largely debunked.

Will Arizona Voucher Law Face Referendum? Grassroots Group Rallying at Capitol

By Ray Stern

May 8, 2017

Arizona's new voucher expansion program, which subsidizes private school tuition by taking money from public schools, faces a possible referendum threat by a grassroots group critical of the law.

Youth Advocates Demand Arizona Courts End Indiscriminate Shackling of Juveniles

By Miriam Wasser

Apr 29, 2016

Youth advocates and members of the Arizona Public Defender Association want the Arizona Supreme Court to do what many other states have done and end the indiscriminate shackling of youth in juvenile courtrooms. In a petition submitted to the court, attorney Christina Phillis writes that, “The goal of juvenile court is...

Unsupervised Prom-Night Hotel Parties Very "Risky" for Teens, Scottsdale Police Warn

By Ray Stern

Apr 8, 2016

The Scottsdale Police Department may be stating the obvious with its new public-safety campaign, but the cops are warning teens that unsupervised prom parties in hotel rooms are prime places to drink and do drugs. It's called "We're Coming to the Party!" — the "we" being Scottsdale police. And it's...

Department of Child Safety Can Interview Kids Without Parental Consent, Arizona AG Says

By Miriam Wasser

Mar 29, 2016

Does the Arizona Department of Child Safety need parental permission to interview children during an investigation into alleged neglect? According to a new opinion authored by Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, the answer is no. The AG’s Office was asked to look into the issue because — while it’s always...

University of Arizona Minority Students Demand Free Tampons, Condoms, and More

By Ray Stern

Mar 11, 2016

Free tampons, menstrual pads, and condoms in university restrooms — and free testing for sexually transmitted diseases. Faculty race quotas in place by 2020. Hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions, in new funding for building renovations, access to free computers, paid tutors, reduced-price or free healthy food, and...

Horrific Details Emerge About Alleged Phoenix Child-Abuse Situation

By Miriam Wasser

Mar 7, 2016

New details have emerged in a case against Phoenix resident Alejandrina Angel Flores, 27, who was arrested last week and charged with six counts of child abuse. According to court documents, the Phoenix Police Department received a call from Flores’ sister last Thursday about a domestic violence situation at Flores’...

Fixing the Child Welfare "Horror Show" in Arizona (Letter to the Editor)

By Miriam Wasser

Feb 22, 2016

With unprecedented numbers of children entering foster care in Arizona every day, there seems to be unanimous agreement among child-welfare advocates and experts that something in the state's system is broken. But what exactly that "something" is — and where it stems from — remains a topic of hot debate. In a...

Arizona DCS Director's Qualifications Targeted By Lawmakers

By Miriam Wasser

Feb 10, 2016

A group of Arizona lawmakers are using a new bill to take aim at the educational and leadership qualifications of Greg McKay, director of the Department of Child Safety. House Bill 2662 spells out new minimum requirements for the position — none of which McKay satisfies — that will limit...

As Phoenix’s Emergency Shelter for Kids Closes, Children Will Sleep in DCS Offices Again

By Miriam Wasser

Jan 25, 2016

Six months after a huge public outcry about the number of children sleeping in the Department of Child Safety’s Phoenix office buildings inspired the agency to open a 24-hour emergency placement center, the department is announcing the center will close, and that some kids in state care will probably have...

2015 Was a Rough Year for Kids in Arizona's Child Welfare System

By Miriam Wasser

Dec 28, 2015

2015 has not been a good year for Arizona’s most-vulnerable population: kids in the child welfare system. In early February, without much explanation, newly appointed Governor Doug Ducey fired Charles Flanagan, director of Arizona's Department of Child Safety, and in his place, installed Greg McKay, a police officer who headed the...

Diane Douglas Recall Petition Filed; Now Her Opponents Need 360,000 Signatures

By Miriam Wasser

Sep 1, 2015

Let the ‘Recall Diane Douglas Games’ begin! The campaign to recall Arizona State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Diane Douglas, filed the necessary paperwork with the State Secretary this morning, and can now legally begin collecting signatures. But having spent the last ten months since the November 2014 election organizing and...

Arizona's a Terrible Place for Underprivileged Kids, New Study Finds

By Miriam Wasser

Aug 10, 2015

A new study comparing the best and worst states for underprivileged children ranks Arizona 49th in the nation. Only Mississippi and the District of Columbia received worse scores. (In sub-categories, we ranked 50th out of 51 in early-foundations and economic well-being, 37th in health, and 48th in education.) The study...

12 Explanations for Arizona’s Child-Welfare Problems

By Miriam Wasser

Jul 30, 2015

A new report on child welfare in Arizona reveals some startling statistics that help explain why the state’s child welfare system is overwhelmed, and why an unprecedented number of children are in foster care or group homes. This report, technically a supplement to the independent audit conducted by the University...

Independent Report Says Arizona's Child Welfare System Isn't Working

By Miriam Wasser

Jul 1, 2015

The Arizona Office of the Auditor General recently published what may become a landmark study of Arizona's child welfare system. The 73-page document paints a picture of an agency struggling even after it was removed from the larger umbrella of the Department of Economic Security last year, and made into...

Department of Child Safety Audit Report Will Be Released Today

By Miriam Wasser

Jun 30, 2015

The long-awaited independent audit of the Department of Child Safety will be made public sometime this morning. It's unclear what the verdict will be, but if recent statistics and news reports about the downward trends of the agency are any indication, there's likely to be a lot of constructive criticism...

The Kids are Not All Right

Teen Girl Shot in Gang Fight is Recovering

Arizona Agency Refuses to Release Potentially Damning Report

The Kids are Not All Right

Teen Girl Shot in Gang Fight is Recovering

Arizona Agency Refuses to Release Potentially Damning Report

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