Arizona Becomes First State To Stop Seizing Foster Children’s Federal Social Security Benefits To Pay For Costs Of Care
The Arizona foster care system will no longer seize and divert children’s federal Social Security, disability or veterans benefits to help pay for their foster care services. On June 19, 2023, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs signed House Bill 2559 to prevent the Department of Child Safety (DCS) from this practice. Arizona is now the only state that prohibits the state child welfare agency from this practice.
During 2022, DCS collected more than $6.2 million in federal benefits due to foster children, an average of $764 per month from nearly 700 children. DCS used $4 million of the seized . . .