Dear Friends,

During my years in public service, I have made it a priority to protect all of our citizens:  children, the elderly, individuals with disabilities and working families.  More than 40 state programs that provide aid to these Arizonans fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Economic Security.

When I took office in 2003, DES was in deep trouble.  The agency had been neglected for years and was dealing with, among other issues: a skyrocketing welfare population; limited resources; a lengthy waiting list for day care assistance for low-income, working families; and high employee turnover and poor morale.  These were serious problems that needed to be addressed.  In the late summer of 2003, I appointed a new director, David A. Berns, and asked him to take a lead in enhancing the services that DES provides. 
 
Director Berns brought with him a new approach to doing business at DES.  Through an "integrated services" strategy, DES is now tackling its challenges head on, while remaining focused on improving safety and self-sufficiency for Arizona's vulnerable and needy population.  DES is now considered a partner with communities and families as opposed to a provider of services.  The end result of integrated services is not only a more effective and efficient department, but also a better-served clientele.

These numbers only begin to show the success that DES has had with integrating services, and the agency continues to strive to do better.  I am proud to say that these improvements are not only saving money, but helping the Arizonans who need it the most-including our children.