Report on Systemic Failures in Arizona’s Child Protective Services and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

A series of child fatalities linked to the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) has exposed significant institutional weaknesses, prompting legislative action aimed at reforming the system. These events represent a critical failure to uphold several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those concerning child welfare, institutional justice, and inequality.

1.0 Case Background: Violation of SDG 3 and SDG 16

The impetus for this review is the 2025 deaths of three minor girls under the purview of the DCS. These cases highlight a severe dereliction in ensuring SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and represent a failure of SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), which explicitly calls for ending abuse, exploitation, and all forms of violence against children.

• Rebekah Baptiste (10): Died following years of documented torture and abuse.
• Emily Pike (14): An Apache teen whose remains were found over one hundred miles from her DCS-licensed group home.
• Zariah Dodd (16): A pregnant teen who was shot and killed in a park after running away from a group home.

State Senator Carine Werner acknowledged the systemic collapse, stating, “The system has failed children, absolutely.”

2.0 Stakeholder Intervention and Policy Response

In response to the crisis, a high-level stakeholder meeting was convened on September 3 at the Arizona State Capitol. The meeting included state lawmakers, tribal leaders, and the mother of victim Emily Pike.

2.1 Addressing SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

A primary focus of the meeting was the disproportionate vulnerability of Indigenous children within the state system, a direct challenge to SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). State Senator Theresa Hatathlie noted that while the high-profile cases brought the issue forward, “The problem itself has always existed.”

A key outcome was a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Arizona’s tribal nations and the DCS, designed to rectify communication gaps that proved fatal in the case of Emily Pike, for whom DCS had no record when she went missing. The agreement aims to create a more inclusive and responsive institutional framework.

2.2 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Details

The MOU stipulates a new protocol to be implemented quickly:

1. Tribal nations placing children in DCS-licensed homes will provide comprehensive information packets.
2. These packets must include the child’s history and a recent photograph.
3. The information is intended to provide law enforcement with critical, immediate data if a child goes missing.

3.0 Long-Term Systemic Challenges and Future Outlook

While the MOU is a significant step, long-term challenges threaten the sustainability of any reforms.

3.1 Institutional Capacity: A Challenge to SDG 8 and SDG 16

Senator Werner identified the high turnover rate of DCS caseworkers as a critical long-term vulnerability. This issue directly impacts SDG 16 by undermining the effectiveness and stability of the child protection institution. Furthermore, it raises concerns related to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), as the workforce is characterized by:

• Young, inexperienced employees.
• A typical tenure of only two years.

Senator Werner proposed creating incentives to improve retention and foster a more experienced, stable workforce, thereby strengthening the institution’s capacity to protect children.

3.2 Institutional Accountability

A lack of transparency from DCS leadership was noted. DCS Director Kathryn Ptak did not provide a comment following the meeting and has not responded to multiple requests for an interview. This avoidance of public accountability is contrary to the principles of transparent and accountable institutions promoted by SDG 16.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  This goal is central to the article, which focuses on the failure of a state institution, the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS), to protect children. The deaths of three girls due to violence, abuse, and neglect highlight a breakdown in justice and safety systems for children. The article explicitly quotes a lawmaker stating, “The system has failed children, absolutely,” pointing directly to the need for more effective and accountable institutions.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The article implicitly addresses this goal by highlighting the particular vulnerability of an indigenous child. The case of Emily Pike, an “Apache teen,” and the “heavy presence of tribal leaders” at the stakeholder meeting underscore the specific challenges and inequalities faced by indigenous communities within the child welfare system. The agreement reached between tribal nations and the DCS is a direct attempt to reduce these inequalities and ensure better protection for this specific group.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  This goal is connected through the discussion on the systemic issues within the DCS. The article points out that a “long-term challenge is retaining the agency’s caseworkers,” who are described as young and typically staying for only two years. This high turnover rate suggests issues with working conditions, which impacts the institution’s effectiveness and its ability to protect children. The call to “incentivize them” relates to creating more stable and decent work environments to strengthen the system.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.

   This target is directly relevant to the tragic outcomes for the three girls. The article details that Rebekah Baptiste, 10, was “tortured and abused for years before her death,” and Zariah Dodd, 16, was “found shot and killed.” These events are explicit examples of the violence and abuse that this target aims to eliminate.

2. Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.

   The entire article is a commentary on the failure of the DCS, an institution that was not effective or accountable in these cases. The stakeholder meeting at the State Capitol and the resulting Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) are concrete steps discussed in the article to make the DCS a more effective and transparent institution, particularly in its collaboration with tribal nations.

3. Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.

   This target is addressed through the focus on improving the system for children from tribal nations. The case of Emily Pike, an Apache teen for whom the DCS had no record when she ran away, shows a failure of inclusion and protection for a child of a specific ethnic origin. The MOU is designed to correct this by ensuring better information sharing and protocols for children from tribes, thereby promoting their inclusion and safety within the state’s system.

4. Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men…

   The article connects to this target by identifying high caseworker turnover as a critical problem. The statement that “caseworkers are very young, they are people who typically only stay there two years” implies a lack of decent, sustainable work. The suggestion to “incentivize them so that we keep them more than the two years” is a direct call to improve working conditions to achieve a more stable and effective workforce, which is a component of this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for Target 16.2: Number of child deaths due to abuse and violence.

  The article is prompted by the deaths of three specific children (Rebekah Baptiste, Emily Pike, and Zariah Dodd). The number of such deaths within the child welfare system serves as a direct and tragic indicator of the prevalence of violence against children.

• Indicator for Target 16.6: Implementation of inter-agency agreements.

  The article explicitly mentions the establishment of a “memorandum of understanding (MOU)” between tribal nations and the DCS. The existence and successful implementation of this MOU can be used as an indicator to measure progress towards creating more effective and transparent institutional processes.

• Indicator for Target 10.2: Existence of protocols for vulnerable groups.

  The new protocol established under the MOU, where tribes provide “information packets, including a history and a photo, to help law enforcement if a child goes missing,” is a specific indicator. Progress can be measured by the adoption and consistent use of this protocol to ensure children from tribal nations are properly tracked and protected, unlike in Emily Pike’s case.

• Indicator for Target 8.5: Employee retention/turnover rate.

  The article implies this indicator by stating that a “long-term challenge is retaining the agency’s caseworkers” and noting their typical tenure is only “two years.” A change in this average length of service would be a clear indicator of whether working conditions are improving and the workforce is becoming more stable.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: fox10phoenix.com