Arizona receives $1.49 million to support expanding adoption services

Arizona has been awarded $1.49 million by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to expand adoption efforts across the state, Gov. Doug Ducey announced on Thursday.

“All Arizona kids deserve a loving family and a safe home,” Gov. Ducey said.

“This funding will help Arizona amplify support for families and connect more kids in out-of-home care with a permanent home.”

The funding comes through the Adoption and Legal Guardianship Incentive Payments program and is awarded to states working to increase giving children permanent homes through adoption and legal guardianship, taking them out of the foster care system.

Arizona has connected more than 18,000 children with their forever homes since 2016, and ranks 11th in the nation for increasing the number of children adopted from foster care.

Since the pandemic began, the Arizona Department of Child Safety has reunified approximately 2,100 kids with their parents and finalized approximately 1,300 adoptions, while also facilitating 6,000 in-home visits per week.

Arizona is also part of the ALL IN Foster Adoption Challenge.

With nearly 122,000 children and youth throughout the U.S. in the foster care system, the adoption challenge is a nationwide effort to find permanent homes for them by strengthening partnerships between governors, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, families and more.

According to the Arizona Department of Child Safety website, the state has more than 19,000 children in foster care.

NEW: Arizona received a $1.49 million award from @ACFHHS to expand our adoption efforts and support kids and families in need. All Arizona kids deserve a loving family and a safe home. This funding will help make that a reality. 1/ pic.twitter.com/5Z61s2smvk

— Doug Ducey (@dougducey) September 24, 2020

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