Federal Grant Award Summary: SCIP-2026

The Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) awarded the Judiciary Courts of the State of Arizona $779,056 through the State Court Improvement Program (CFDA 93.586) formula grant, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2027. This award supports Arizona's judicial system in enhancing court processes and legal representation related to child welfare proceedings, including child protection, family preservation, reunification, guardianship, and adoption cases. The formula grant enables the Arizona Supreme Court's Administrative Office of the Courts to conduct assessments that identify systemic barriers to timely and effective decision-making within child welfare courts and implement targeted improvements to judicial practices and legal representation.

The State Court Improvement Program provides states flexibility in designing their court improvement initiatives to address jurisdiction-specific challenges in child welfare proceedings. Arizona's judicial branch will leverage this federal funding to modernize court operations, strengthen legal services for vulnerable populations, and coordinate with state partners including the Department of Child Safety and other relevant agencies. As a formula grant distributed systematically across states based on established criteria, this award represents consistent federal investment in improving the quality and effectiveness of state court systems handling child welfare matters.