2011 Arizona Revised Statutes
Title 8 Children
8-804 Central registry; notification

8-804. Central registry; notification

A. The department of economic security shall maintain a central registry of reports of child abuse and neglect that are substantiated and the outcome of the investigation of these reports made under this article. A finding made by a court pursuant to section 8-844, subsection C that a child is dependent based upon an allegation of abuse or neglect shall be recorded as a substantiated finding of abuse or neglect. The department shall incorporate duplicate reports on the same incident in the original report and shall not classify duplicate reports as new reports.

B. Information contained in the central registry shall be used by the department only for the following purposes:

1. To conduct background checks as one factor to determine qualifications for foster home licensing, adoptive parent certification, child care home certification, registration of unregulated child care homes with the child care resource and referral system, and home and community based services certification for services to children.

2. To conduct background checks as one factor to determine qualifications for persons applying for employment with this state in positions that provide direct service to children or vulnerable adults and persons applying for contracts with this state, including employees of the potential contractor, for positions that provide direct service to children or vulnerable adults.

3. To identify and review reports concerning individual children and families, in order to facilitate the assessment of risk.

4. To determine the nature and scope of child abuse and neglect in this state and to provide statewide statistical and demographic information concerning trends in child abuse and neglect.

5. To allow comparisons of this state's statistical data with national data.

6. To comply with section 8-804.01, subsection B.

C. If the department received a report before September 1, 1999 and determined that the report was substantiated, the department shall maintain the report in the central registry until eighteen years from the child victim's date of birth.

D. If the department received a report on or after September 1, 1999 and determined that the report was substantiated, the department shall maintain the report in the central registry for twenty-five years after the date of the report.

E. The department shall annually purge reports and investigative outcomes received pursuant to the time frames prescribed in subsections C and D of this section.

F. Any person who was the subject of a child protective services investigation may request confirmation that the department has purged information about the person pursuant to subsection E of this section. On receipt of this request, the department shall provide the person with written confirmation that the department has no record containing identifying information about that person.