Now we’re going to check in with the Editorial Board of The Arizona Republic. It’s a regular segment where we talk about the big issues facing the state and the region — featured in the newspaper’s Viewpoints section.

Arizona has had a dramatic number of children in foster care. Although that figure has dropped in the past couple of years, it remains a major concern. Important questions are being asked, like whether more kids should remain with their birth families.

The Arizona Republic published an editorial about the benefits of permanent guardians, and the paper’s Editorial Director Phil Boas is with me for his weekly appearance to talk about it.