Inside Arizona’s race to find missing foster youth

Published: Oct. 29, 2026 at 6:12 AM PDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
Every day, Arizona Department of Child Safety investigators track children who have gone missing from state care. Arizona’s Family followed investigator Amanda Shirota as she pursued leads for two 16-year-olds who had run away from group homes. One teen was believed to be living on the streets, while another was considered at risk for sex trafficking. DCS reports missing-youth cases dropped 31% from August 2025 to August 2026, but investigators say every unresolved case carries urgent risks.