Gov. Doug Ducey picks new Arizona Department of Child Safety director

PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Child Safety is getting a new director.

Gov. Doug Ducey announced Monday he’d appointed Mike Faust to replace Greg McKay, who is stepping down to become an executive with a nonprofit organization.

Faust is no stranger to DCS, having been the agency’s deputy director of support services.

“Mike Faust has spent the last four years as an instrumental figure in the positive transformation of the Arizona Department of Child Safety,” Ducey said in a press release.

Today, Governor @dougducey announced the appointment of Mike Faust as the new Director of the Arizona Department of Child Safety replacing outgoing Director @dcsgregmckay. @arizonadcs https://t.co/U72McBKVYr

— The 9th Floor (@9thFloorAZ) August 6, 2019

“His passion and deep understanding of this important responsibility has led to better outcomes for thousands of vulnerable children including the elimination of the inactive case backlog and an overall reduction of children in out-of-home care.”

Faust has been working for the state since 2015, when he joined the Department of Administration’s Government Transformation Office. He moved over to DCS in 2016.

“Through the efforts of our valued DCS case managers and staff, partnerships with the provider community and support of the kinship, foster and adoption community, we will continue to seek outcome improvements for Arizona’s vulnerable children,” Faust said in the release.

McKay announced on July 10 he would be leaving at the end of August to become chief operating officer for Childhelp USA, a Phoenix-based nonprofit that works to prevent child abuse.

“As we’ve worked to continuously improve DCS, Mike Faust has been at the forefront of our efforts,” McKay said in the release.

“I am confident in Mike’s ability to sustain and build on these successes.”

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