PHOENIX - Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery strongly supports Governor Doug Ducey’s appointment of current Chief of the Office of Child Welfare Investigations, Greg McKay, to serve as Director of the Department of Child Safety.

“The appointment of Chief McKay is a strong and welcome move, representing a significant and demonstrative appreciation of the need to break with the past and seize on the opportunities to forge a safer future for Arizona's children that recent statutory reforms created,” Montgomery said. “Chief McKay's demonstrated success in implementing investigative techniques and procedures with OCWI for matters involving allegations of crimes committed against children, honed from years of experience as a Phoenix PD Detective, is the same dedicated and professional approach that must apply to investigations for all matters coming to the attention of DCS. Chief McKay's passion for Arizona's children sets an example everyone involved with child safety can look to for inspiration.”

Montgomery went on to note, "Whether identifying the scope of in home preventive services needed to keep families together or to accurately assess the need to remove a child victim of crime for their safety, it has long been a given that thorough and professional investigations are the first step in securing successful outcomes for Arizona's children. The team Governor Ducey has named will ensure that dedicated DCS employees have the leadership team in place they deserve. Additionally, the balance of experience is one that Arizona families and children, as well as community partners and fellow stakeholders, can count on for addressing next steps in bringing about alignment between the high expectations for Arizona's child welfare system and the day to day outcomes."

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