Last week, the Arizona Department of Child Safety announced that it would be the nation’s first child welfare agency to develop a specialized unit to ensure that the rights of children victims would be protected. The agency began their statement by writing, “When children are victims of crime, their voices often become lost in the legal process. But children, like adults, are entitled to specific rights.”

To that end, the Victim Services Unit will focus on the victim’s right to refuse a deposition with defense counsel, the right to have the victim’s voice be heard in court, and the right of the victim to be treated with dignity and respect in the judicial proceedings.

The director of the Department of Public Safety, Greg McKay, organized this effort after he realized that many children in foster care who were involved in criminal cases lacked the proper guidance to assist them in the court process. “DCS is the temporary legal guardian of children in foster care,” said McKay, “therefore, we need to fight for them like they are our own children. No longer will kids who are victims of crime be underserved while navigating the foster care system. We owe them a strong voice.”

The unit is able to support itself through a recently approved $2 million federal grant. Staffing will commence immediately with the hopes that all positions will be filled before the end of July.