A significant step toward leadership stability at the Department of Child Safety (DCS) has been taken as Kathryn Ptak, the nominee of Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs, received unanimous backing from a bipartisan state Senate panel. The recommendation for her confirmation as director came on Thursday.
The confirmation process, however, was not without its reminders of the agency’s lingering issues. Senators brought up a critical report by the state Auditor General’s Office, highlighting that DCS has not yet fully addressed 42 out of 58 recommendations from six different audits.
Ensuring Stability and Accountability
Senate panel Chair, Sen. Jake Hoffman, emphasized the necessity for the agency to provide consistent and reliable operations. He remarked on the importance of addressing concerns related to the guardian system, document production, and the protection of families’ due process rights. Hoffman stated, “When there are concerns, as with the guardian system, as with the production of documents, as with the due process afforded to families who are fighting to rebuild that family, I don’t think that we have the ability to take those lightly.”
Before moving forward with a final Senate vote on her confirmation, Hoffman requested Ptak to prepare a detailed plan outlining her strategies to uphold due process and parental rights within the department.
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