Arizona fixes budget shortfall for foster group homes

Arizona lawmakers have approved a temporary budget solution for the state's child welfare agency, the Department of Child Safety (DCS). This decision comes as DCS faced a funding shortfall that threatened to leave many foster children without proper housing. The budget fix was approved on Thursday. Lawmakers allowed DCS to use surplus funds from other parts of its budget to cover the costs of group homes for the rest of the fiscal year. DCS money for these homes was set to run out on Monday. State Rep. David Livingston said they went beyond what the governor initially requested to address the issue. However, he expressed frustration about having to rectify what he believed were past mistakes made by the governor's office. There are around 1,500 children currently living in group homes. Lawmakers were worried that a funding lapse would force these children to stay in temporary facilities or offices. Some legislators argued that the budget problems should have been addressed earlier, with Republicans claiming it indicated financial mismanagement by the current administration. While the dispute continues, some senators described the situation as an overreaction. They noted that budget transfers like this happen regularly and have occurred under both Democratic and Republican governors. In contrast, House Republicans are investigating the shortfall. Meanwhile, the state's Division of Developmental Disabilities is facing an even larger budget crisis. The agency could run out of money next month, much sooner than the end of the fiscal year. Lawmakers have recently blocked attempts to fund this $122 million deficit, which is seven times larger than the issue resolved for DCS. There's uncertainty on whether a budget agreement can be reached in time to prevent further funding problems for the disabled.