Arizona's Department of Child Safety says it has a new specialized unit to ensure child victims' voices are heard.
Greg McKay, director of the state's child welfare agency, said Tuesday that the unit's members will work with the department's case managers, police agencies and prosecutors as criminal cases move through the court system to ensure children get adequate representation.
The agency says the unit's members will advocate for the rights of children who have been crime victims. Those rights include having their voices heard in court and to being treated with treated with dignity and respect. The department will work with a non-profit group to ensure child victims get pro bono legal services if needed.
The unit was created with a $2 million federal grant.
