Council to take action on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Following Participating Agencies: City of Avondale, City of Goodyear, City of Buckeye, State of Arizona - Department of Chil

4.D
CITY OF BUCKEYE
Regular Council Meeting
COUNCIL ACTION REPORT
MEETING DATE: 05/06/25
AGENDA ITEM: 4.D. PD - Memorandum
of Understanding between the Southwest
Family Advocacy Centers partners,
including the City of Avondale, the City of
Goodyear, the City of Buckeye, the State
of Arizona - Department of Child Safety,
the Maricopa County Attorney's Office,
and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office
to utilize Honor Health and the Phoenix
Children's Hospital forensic medical
services. 
DATE PREPARED: 05/01/25
DISTRICT NO.:
STAFF LIAISON: Robert Sanders, Chief of Police, rsanders@buckeyeaz.gov,
(623) 349-6430
DEPARTMENT: Police
AGENDA ITEM TYPE: Consent Agenda
Items / New Business
ACTION/MOTION: (This language identifies the formal motion to be made by the Council) 
Council to take action on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Following Participating
Agencies: City of Avondale, City of Goodyear, City of Buckeye, State of Arizona - Department of Child
Safety, Maricopa County - County Attorney's Office, Maricopa County - County Sheriff's Office, Honor
Health, and Phoenix Children's Hospital, Inc., related to the Southwest Family Advocacy Center, and to
utilize Honor Health and the Phoenix Children's Hospital forensic medical services; and authorize the
City Manager to execute and deliver said MOU on behalf of the City of Buckeye.
SUMMARY
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The City of Avondale Southwest Family Advocacy Center (“Center”), pursuant to various
Intergovernmental Agreements, was created to provide integrated services for victims of abuse through
the collaboration of the City of Avondale (“Avondale”), City of Buckeye (“Buckeye”), City of Goodyear
(“Goodyear”), Maricopa County (“Maricopa”), and the State of Arizona Department of Child Safety.
One of the core missions of the Center is to provide on-site collaboration and the use of multi-disciplinary
team approach for children who are victims of abuse.  This multidisciplinary team approach is used for
prevention, investigation, protection, medical assessment, and referral for prosecution and treatment of
children who are victims of abuse. Honor Health and Phoenix Children Hospital (collectively referred to
as “Nonprofit Organizations”) employ forensic teams who conduct forensic medical examinations of
children who are victims of abuse. By approving the Memorandum of Understanding, the City of Buckeye
will approve the use of Phoenix Children's Hospital and Honor Health as forensic investigation
specialists. 
BENEFITS:
The participating agencies intend to create a collaboration and not a partnership. No provision of this
MOU shall be construed or deemed to create any joint venture, joint enterprise, or agency relationship

among the undersigned entities, and no undersigned entity shall have the right to enter into contracts on
behalf of, to legally bind, to incur debt on behalf of, or to otherwise incur any liability or obligation on
behalf of the other undersigned entities hereto, in the absence of a separate writing, executed by an
authorized representatives.  
Each Governmental Agency and Nonprofit Organization shall be solely responsible for its
representatives, employees, and contractors. All undersigned entities shall not hold themselves out as
employees or agents of each other. No entity shall withhold on behalf of the employees of another, any
sums for income tax, unemployment insurance, social security or any other withholding or benefit
pursuant to any law or requirement of any governmental body. Nothing in this MOU is intended nor shall
be construed to create an employer/employee relationship, or to allow the undersigned entities to
exercise control over one another in the manner in which their employees or agents perform services
which are the subject of this MOU.
FUTURE ACTION:
The MOU will remain in effect until 2028. 
FINANCIAL IMPACT STATEMENT:
N/A
BUDGETED:
No
FISCAL YEAR:
2025
Items related to a project or facility location must include an attached vicinity map for Council
Review.
ATTACHMENTS:
23-28 SWFAC MOU WITH PHOENIX CHILDRENS AND HONOR HEALTH(28429.3).docx
ATTACHMENT 1 PARTNER INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT - FULLY EXECUTED.pdf
ATTACHMENT 2 DCS INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT - FULLY SIGNED.pdf
ATTACHMENT 3 2023-RedBook-v5B-t-Final-Web (1).pdf