By Nick Worth Governor Jan Brewer announced during her State of the State address Monday that she has scrapped the state’s Child Protective Services (CPS), replacing the agency with a new cabinet level department. The CPS scandal, in which more than 6,500 allegations of child abuse were never investigated, is the reason for Brewer’s action. “This morning, I signed an executive order that abolishes CPS as we know it and establishes a new Division of Child Safety and Family Services with its own cabinet-level director who reports to me,” Brewer said in her address. “And I’ve asked Charles Flanagan to serve as the director.” Flanagan is the current director of the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections and before that post served as director of the Arizona Department of Corrections. “Our immediate challenge is to transform our child protection system to ensure the safety and well-being of Arizona’s abused and neglected children,” said Brewer. She cited the creation of the Office of Child Welfare Investigations (OCWI) as an instrumental first step. “Thanks to OCWI, we discovered the horrifying truth that some at CPS failed to investigate, or even respond to, thousands of reports of child abuse,” Brewer said, calling the failure “unconscionable.” In her speech, Brewer also cited her establishment of the independent CARE Team, designed to “oversee the investigation of these cases and to identify areas of concern within CPS.” She also noted she had the Department of Public Safety conduct an administrative review to determine why the thousands of cases were not investigated. She reported the team has ensured that almost all of the cases have now been assigned and that, to date, more than 3,000 children have been seen by CPS staff or local law enforcement officers. “But our job is far from over,” Brewer remarked. “It is evident that our child welfare system is broken–impeded by years of structural and operational failures.” She then called on the state legislature to “statutorily establish a separate agency that focuses exclusively on the safety and well-being of children, and helping families in distress without jeopardizing child safety. “I call on the legislature to work with me to codify a new permanent agency,” said Brewer. “Child safety must be the priority and become embedded in the fabric of this new agency. It is our legal and moral duty.” Scott Chasan of the CPS office in Show Low said he was unable to comment on the effects of Brewer’s action on his office and referred The Tribune-News to the DES. Jennifer Bowser, CARE Team spokesperson, said the transition from DES to the Division of Child Safety and Family Services would not disrupt the services provided by the existing CPS offices. “Operational support will still be provided by DES,” said Bowser. “As far as continuing operations, they are still continuing. Investigations will continue as they have been. There will be no change in that regard.” Asked if the move might mean some CPS workers will be terminated, Bowser said the shift would not affect any CPS workers’ jobs. “That hasn’t been discussed even remotely,” Bowser said. She noted that DES support services would take the form of providing human resources, IT (information technology) and other similar support services.