Shuttered shelter for migrant kids to reopen in Phoenix

PHOENIX (AP) — A national provider of shelters for immigrant children will be allowed to reopen one of two Arizona facilities it was forced to shutter last year because of issues with employee background checks.

The Arizona Department of Health Services said Wednesday it approved an application by Southwest Key to reopen a Phoenix facility that can house 420 children. The shelters are for kids who traveled to the U.S. alone or were separated from a relative.

The department approved the application this week.

An investigation launched last year after several reports of abuse found Southwest Key didn’t have fingerprint records for some employees. It temporarily stopped taking in more children and closed two facilities.

Southwest Key has said it has resolved the issues and it is committed to caring for immigrant youths.

An application to reopen the second shuttered facility is pending.