They found that children who grew up in foster care were unable to form lasting relationships as adults, and in the 1970s the permanency planning movement began. In 1970, Arizona passed legislation to establish Child Protective Services (CPS). Reports of sexual abuse soared as more information became available regarding the devastating effects on adults who had been abused as children. This coincided with the women’s movement at the time, and victims were encouraged to speak out about things that had gone unnoticed previously. The result was that the newly formed CPS and the child welfare system was in high demand and immediately overwhelmed.

The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) was passed in 1974, and it is regularly updated and revised. CAPTA established the National Center for Child Abuse and Neglect as part of the federal Department of Health, Education and Welfare (now known as the Department of Health and Human Services). About $60 million dollars was provided to assist states, localities, and non-profit agencies in developing programs and services for abused and neglected children and their families. The funds were tied to state laws that established a system for identifying, reporting, and responding to child abuse and neglect.

Part of the act required a court appointed guardian ad litem to advocate for the child in every dependency case where abuse or neglect is alleged. This allowed states to draw federal dollars for foster care. In Arizona, A.R.S.8-225 allows for a court appointed special advocate (CASA) to serve the court in that capacity.

That's enough history for today. We will revisit this subject again in the near future!