Policy & Practice | Spring 2025

potential for AI to inadvertently supplant human judgment and empathy, thereby undermining the personalized, compassionate care that is vital to ensuring a child’s safety and well-being. By harnessing our partnership’s creative explora tion approach, IBM and DCS have proactively tackled these concerns, devising innovative AI solutions that have genuinely captivated agency stakeholders, inspiring confidence in leveraging technology to better serve their communities. One example demonstrates how AI transformed Arizona’s required court disclosures. By leveraging GenAI powered automation, we developed a cutting-edge Disclosure Application that enhances child protection, ensures compliance, and delivers sub stantial cost savings. Key features of this enabling tech nology include: 1. Intelligent redaction: Automatically identifying and removing sensitive data based on recipient type, safeguarding privacy without compromising essential disclosures. 2.Timely adherence to the 10-day rule (DCS has a legislated 10-day disclosure rule): Streamlining workflows for 1,400 field specialists, enabling timely release of critical information related to abuse or neglect. 3. Unified platform: Seamlessly integrating emails, text messages, and case notes into a single, orga nized platform for a comprehensive case view. The impact of this AI-driven solution has been profound: 1. Annual savings of $5.6 million, demonstrating the financial benefits of automation. 2.Improved user experience, reflected in a 66-point increase in Net Promoter Score. 3.Enhanced data integrity and workflow efficiency, ensuring that all relevant communication is captured and organized. The impact has already been felt. The Chief Judge of the Arizona Court of Appeals commended the project,

and certainty of our shared path that guides every phase of the project. Data Quality as a Foundation for Prevention and Holistic Service Delivery Data quality serves as a strategic compass guiding prevention and inter vention efforts within the DCS and IBM partnership. By automating the creation of unique records for Arizona citizens receiving prevention services, we can support the DCS workforce by equipping them with the most current and accurate information. This data driven foundation enables effective resource allocation and facilitates the seamless pass-through of federal funding for critical services. The Comprehensive Health Plan (CHP), a program serving the families and children in DCS, exemplifies our commitment to data-driven preven tion and intervention. By integrating disparate systems maintained by DCS, the resulting unified, single-pane of-glass view enables families and children to receive more holistic care. This approach fosters improved case planning, targeted service delivery, and a more accurate assessment of specific needs. As a result, DCS can more swiftly address gaps in services and accelerate the achievement of per manency for children and families. This focus on data quality not only enhances the efficiency and effec tiveness of prevention strategies but also underscores our dedication to serving the whole child and family. By ensuring that all relevant infor mation is accessible, up-to-date, and accurately represented, we pave the way for a more comprehensive understanding of the challenges families face. This, in turn, paves the way for further preventive measures that address the root causes of child neglect and maltreatment, ultimately fostering resilient communities and breaking the cycle of disadvantage. Embracing AI and Possibilities Together: Revolutionizing Court Disclosures and Demonstrating Financial and Operational Efficiency Common among child welfare agencies is concern about the

acknowledging its creativity and the commendable effort in achieving results in a short span of time with minimal bugs. This collaboration exemplifies our commitment to lever aging AI responsibly and effectively, addressing stakeholder concerns, and showcasing the immense poten tial of AI in child welfare to improve outcomes for children and families. The Heart of Our Partnership The Arizona DCS and IBM part nership stands as a testament to the transformative power of a public sector client and vendor collaboration, with a keen focus on prevention and early intervention in human services. By championing upstream preven tion strategies, we are cultivating resilient communities where enabling technology proactively addresses the well-being of children and families. This approach breaks cycles of disad vantage and fosters sustained success, moving beyond the traditional reliance on reactive interventions. At the heart of our partnership lies IBM’s approach to supporting preven tion through three interconnected approaches: n Innovative partnerships that prioritize creativity; n Data that empower informed decision making; and n AI that drives efficiency and the user experience. Our partnership not only cultivates a safe space for creative explora tion and innovation but also helps reimagine how to improve service delivery that mitigates future instances in the child welfare system. By doing so, we are actively transi tioning from a hotline perceived as punitive to a help line offering essen boundaries of what’s possible, we invite you to join us in exploring analogous partnership models and harnessing data-driven strategies and AI to realize prevention objec tives. Together, we can construct robust, resilient communities, securing a prosperous future for gen erations to come. tial support and assistance. As we continue to push the

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