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Arizona child safety department agrees to federal oversight

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Posted at 1:16 PM, Jan 15, 2021
and last updated 2021-01-15 15:16:44-05

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona’s department of child welfare has agreed to increased federal scrutiny after failing to provide proper translation services for families whose first language is not English.

The Arizona Republic reported Friday that the state Department of Child Safety entered into a voluntary settlement with federal officials and pledged to improve services to families with limited English-speaking abilities.

The agency will be reviewed by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department over the next two years. The resolution followed complaints from 11 people who said the state agency did not not provide families with Spanish translations for documents and services parents needed for the agency’s family-reunification process.