A Group Care Home (aka Group Residential Facility) is a facility licensed or authorized by the State of Arizona for 10 or fewer clients/persons who reside together as a single housekeeping unit and who receive common support, care, training, supervision, or counseling from one (1) or more staff persons on a twenty-four hour per day basis. The limitation of 10 or fewer persons does not include the operator of the facility, members of the operator's family or persons employed as staff. This definition shall not apply to a group home for the developmentally disabled as regulated by Arizona Revised Statutes.

Types of Group Residential Facilities include:

• Adult behavioral health
• Adult day health care facility
• Adult foster care home
• Assisted living
• Behavioral health
• Child Care aka Group Homes for Juveniles

Group Residential Facilities may service individuals with disabilities. A disability is defined as a mental or physical impairment which substantially limits one or more life activities. The term mental or physical impairment may include conditions such as blindness, hearing impairment, mobility impairment, HIV infection, mental retardation, alcoholism, drug addiction, chronic fatigue, learning disability, head injury, and mental illness. The term major life activity may include seeing, hearing, walking, breathing, performing manual tasks, caring for one's self, learning, speaking, or working.

The Federal Fair Housing Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and subsequent case law have determined it unlawful to deny or discourage housing options for persons with disabilities or for children; it has been confirmed that any action by the Town or the residents to hinder or halt operations of legal Residential Group Homes could result in a civil rights complaint or litigation

The Arizona Revised Statutes grants the authority to license and regulate Group Residential Facilities to the Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS). Because the AZDHS is responsible for license issuance and renewal of all Group Residential Facilities, any compliant or inquiry on a specific facility must be directed to AZDHS.

Contact Information for the AZDHS for residential facilities licensing and for group homes that provide services for children are listed below.

Arizona Department of Health Services Residential Facilities Licensing

Phone:  602-364-2639

Email: Residential.Licensing@azdhs.gov

Website:  https://www.azdhs.gov/licensing/residential-facilities/index.php

To submit a complaint online Click Here

Arizona Department of Health Services Child Care Licensing

Phone:  602-364-2539

Email: BCCL@azdhs.gov

Website: https://www.azdhs.gov/licensing/childcare-facilities/index.php

To submit a complaint online Click Here

 What does the Town have the authority to regulate?

While the cities and towns are not the overseeing jurisdiction for Group Residential Facilities, the Town plays the following role in the regulation of such facilities:

• Residential Group Facilities applications are submitted, reviewed, inspected, and approved by the Town's Building Safety Division in conjunction with the Fire Marshal's inspector. The purpose of this application is to enforce the minimum 1,200-foot separation requirement between group care homes and to determine compliance with all applicable Building and Fire Codes.
• Following approval of a Residential Group Facilities application by the Town, the Town issues a Certificate of Occupancy that the applicant forwards to corresponding licensing unit at the Arizona Department of Health Services, which is responsible for the licensing of adult group homes across the State of Arizona. A Residential Group Home is required to receive approval by the local jurisdiction prior to being issued a license by the State.
• The Town enforces the Zoning Ordinance and State requirement of a 1,200-foot radius between each Group Residential Facility located within the Town.
• The Town Fire Marshal performs an annual inspection of each residential group home after it receives a Certificate of Occupancy from the Town.
• The Town's building code and Arizona State Statute limits the number of clients to 10 per Residential Group Home when equipped with fire sprinkler protection and provided that Town safety codes have been met.

Who can I contact?

For Group Residential Facilities questions and complaints:

Arizona Department of Health Services Residential Facilities Licensing

Phone:  602-364-2639

Email: Residential.Licensing@azdhs.gov

Website:  https://www.azdhs.gov/licensing/residential-facilities/index.php

To submit a complaint online Click Here

For Group Residential Facilities providing services to juveniles (those under the age of 18) questions and complaints:

Arizona Department of Health Services Child Care Licensing

Phone:  602-364-2539

Email: BCCL@azdhs.gov

Website: https://www.azdhs.gov/licensing/childcare-facilities/index.php

To submit a complaint online Click Here

For disturbance complaints: 

Queen Creek Police Department

Emergency 9-1-1

Non-Emergency:  480-358-3500

For issues related to noise, property maintenance, or other Zoning Ordinance or Town Code violations:

Town of Queen Creek Code Compliance

Phone:   480-358-3307

To report a noise, maintenance, or code compliant online Click Here