[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6219525,"mediaKeyId","3622007-cdaadb1e946d381c5b4109b92f93c002","parentId",3622007,"title","Arkansas Crimes Against Children Division reports 64,956 hotline contacts in 2024, 29% substantiation rate for investigations","audioSeconds",206,"startMs",4248000,"endMs",4454000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3622007-cdaadb1e946d381c5b4109b92f93c002&start=4248&end=4454","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3622007-cdaadb1e946d381c5b4109b92f93c002/thumbnail_4248000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6219525/Arkansas/Arkansas-Crimes-Against-Children-Division-reports-64956-hotline-contacts-in-2024-29-substantiation-rate-for-investigations","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6219525-1c72ec76b71dbdc5526bb4e71d308336/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156709&Signature=Cmrh0OyK1hhv5ozLyQ13oNOjRV1BePZDSR9uaDgTBH3LnnIha3EGZ6JYA04cC~kmLEukY7zuign2Y21dShuu9~5r3Fw4yjdlUjPcts5uTpJyYql-V0zt5xLkFsSnQJyez9u2qN4ZMc4xhAvyYVikyGQ-yfOsRs1hzInEGzvTHY~pBozLo2a7PXJt5Pxtf0Cqia3ne7XX8IPBhY19JZ15rX6dWz5wKJm3OmgKQWwcxCt906mm2zSetTtR~RQv3TkOIflsf5pAnMTNW6czDnf0XiV~xitLqVQjSU5myi-GHvrlsaZxo7dyR1ikgoCp~8aY3LXdpOFmqJwE9PfebFiRag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Arkansas State Legislature","date","2025-05-28T09:00:00Z","article","Kalika Rogers, investigations administrator for the Arkansas State Police Crimes Against Children Division, presented the division’s 2024 annual report to a legislative committee, saying the child‑abuse hotline received 64,956 contacts and CACD was assigned 6,179 investigations in the year.

“The child abuse hotline received 64,956 contacts in 2024, which is a decrease of 2,684 calls from the previous year,” Rogers said. She reported 34,402 contacts were accepted for investigation by CACD and DCFS combined, a decrease of 1,352 reports from 2023. CACD’s investigations unit was assigned 6,179 investigations in 2024 and closed 5,974 investigations; 1,755 of those were found true, yielding a 29% substantiation rate for closed CACD investigations.

Rogers walked members through monthly and quarterly breakdowns in the report and highlighted category and priority classifications used by the hotline. Committee members asked whether the 2020–21 increase in hotline contacts was attributable to COVID‑era effects and greater mandated‑reporting awareness; Rogers said the division had increased mandated‑reporter education and that could account for part of the earlier rise, but she did not provide a definitive attribution for year‑to‑year changes.

No committee action was taken; members received the annual report and asked questions about trends and public education.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle"," CHILDREN & YOUTH COMMITTEE- SENATE & AGING, CHILDREN & YOUTH, & LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS- HOUSE May 28, 2025 9:00 AM","oneSentenceSummary","The Arkansas State Police Crimes Against Children Division (CACD) briefed legislators on its 2024 annual report, reporting 64,956 hotline contacts and a 29% substantiation rate among closed investigations assigned to CACD.","taxTitle","2025 Legislative Meetings, Arkansas","taxId",78622,"location","Arkansas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6219529,"Restore Hope presents HopeHub collaborative‑care model, credits 100 Families sites with higher reunification and lower foster‑care counts",2007,2186000,4193000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3622007-cdaadb1e946d381c5b4109b92f93c002&start=2186&end=4193","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3622007-cdaadb1e946d381c5b4109b92f93c002/thumbnail_2186000.jpg","/articles/6219529/Arkansas/Restore-Hope-presents-HopeHub-collaborativecare-model-credits-100-Families-sites-with-higher-reunification-and-lower-fostercare-counts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6219529-e55e5c40cfe1c6f0102f5d7cdfdc1cb3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156709&Signature=ZpyWiF6AaJ5udD~1AbTasOKH4aBZAfxySfAbkNxw0Mtm3XnP-NdHoa65L-dYU0KXMH~Px-RsprztCSJnd30fcrobVFgGcvxpOi1OjW-qrXrU024UkxeKTEBvJtdjeWU94BdpkCGbz6RFfJQv1R6qGcqhhDyRXwM-7~HO09tp4O-yCgy3tfb1tW5aUOA9MWGp-6tXIIWz8SAP9NWNhtgYMB~bBCo6yj83EgN-M83W1~2i2Zz-2A45XXx3vOYJAPCF~0kOZEGCyHw1wsLpCDOzcD2gCBQhJ-toUKEz4yyS4bBrE4Eh-AwStaGNAyKQsYLBqRBQkLkSzBYkWdhq5q7SPg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Paul Chapman, executive director of Restore Hope, told a joint legislative committee on June 1, 2025, that the nonprofit’s HopeHub software and the 100 Families collaborative‑care model are operating in 19 Arkansas counties and have been associated with higher reunification rates and declines in foster‑care placements in pilot areas.

“Any parent that chose to have a team put around them … it's over a 70 percent chance of reunification,” Chapman said, describing a rise from a baseline reunification rate he cited as 43% for parents who did not receive the collaborative team approach. He said HopeHub currently aggregates monthly common assessments for clients, supports consented data sharing among local providers and provides dashboards county leaders can use to monitor progress.

Chapman said Restore Hope’s tools supported just over 3,500 Arkansans in the past 12 months through nearly 1,400 professional providers. He described the program’s origin in Fort Smith and Sebastian County and credited local leaders with launching a collective‑impact approach there. As an example, Chapman said Sebastian County’s foster‑care population fell from about 800 children to 359 since the model’s start; he also said local adult crime and incarceration declined in recent years, and attributed those changes to coordinated local responses.

Restore Hope described practical requirements for communities to operate the model: a locally selected backbone organization, a paid coordinator and family advocate roles, and a threshold of active clients (the presenter noted a 20‑client benchmark) before a local initiative fully launches. Funding has come primarily from TANF grants and private philanthropy; Chapman said funding capacity limits wider rollout and asked legislators to consider support and partnerships.

Committee members asked about data sharing and integration. Chapman said HopeHub is “hooked up to the DHS system for eligibility determination” for benefits such as TANF in many cases and that the organization is working to sync more state data systems. He also said Restore Hope and DCFS were selected by the Lab for Economic Opportunity at Notre Dame to perform a return‑on‑investment study.

Senator Johnson and other members praised the model and asked how legislators might help expand it. Chapman asked lawmakers to consider funding coordinators and family advocates in additional counties and to permit grants or local backbone organizations to apply resources for program launch activities. He also said a roadshow demonstration of the model is planned in August and encouraged members to attend.

No formal committee action was taken; lawmakers requested written materials and a follow‑up email to staff so members could review dashboards and program details.

What happened next: Restore Hope agreed to send program documentation to committee staff and to coordinate invitations to demonstration events.","Restore Hope described HopeHub software and the 100 Families collective‑impact model to a legislative committee, citing expansion to 19 counties, improved reunification odds for participating parents and county case examples; the group sought grant and TANF funding to expand.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6219533,"DCFS officials cite staff turnover and timeliness gaps while reporting decline in foster-care population",1708,368000,2076000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3622007-cdaadb1e946d381c5b4109b92f93c002&start=368&end=2076","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3622007-cdaadb1e946d381c5b4109b92f93c002/thumbnail_368000.jpg","/articles/6219533/Arkansas/DCFS-officials-cite-staff-turnover-and-timeliness-gaps-while-reporting-decline-in-foster-care-population","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6219533-5cff1c1567fa7d3ad21b7ef18be83215/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156709&Signature=C3l4Ru9vPuxcVdhbaAmiyqU-GrgG-C5INi1lol~CRpslwzfHHsiDDEnNt4CRU4OU6laKT26hs5B2T0AXt-WATa3M-qEh-WxBXrbJc9KBxUNfo14lwLB~uqkVuXzG~OMaFjbjj4H7y45PqbdQfAWWlQTy8qqpZb9GMcKrMg88NZMUacGI2ug48nA9-TnmaSTf2BG5QpMwy2PuTfGLqw55V2Oae49nK5tpY9J90OFRFCb-ZwNEEyzKq6UcoQWrnSVs2S7If~0b1er4zbsEUR2P1Nkyi8qfEvCRVdkcElpR-SyCuw6J2cZwa97jo9Nw6CsYn22VXVrwE92x5zZWD0sSmg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Division of Children and Family Services at the Department of Human Services presented technical rule revisions and its third-quarter performance report to a joint legislative committee on June 1, 2025, saying workforce turnover has affected the timeliness of investigations while foster-care numbers continue to decline.

The rules packet — described by Assistant Director Amber Sartain as reflecting current DCFS practice on “safety and risk management” — includes technical changes and replacement of outdated terminology, and the committee voted to review the rules. “There is no fiscal impact. We didn't receive any public comments during the public comment period,” Sartain said.

Tiffany Wright, director of the division, told the committee that for the quarter covering Jan. 1–March 31 the Tala Beasley hotline received 8,154 child-maltreatment reports; 6,677 were assigned to DCFS, 5,090 were accepted for investigation and 1,587 were assigned to differential response. “Sixty-two percent of our maltreatment reports were found true for neglect, followed by 24 percent for physical abuse,” Wright said.

Wright and members discussed continuing challenges with timeliness of initiating and closing investigations. Wright said turnover causes older reports to be deprioritized when new reports arrive and that the division is “continuing to focus on this with our staff across the state.” She told legislators the division has convened its investigations team to drill into local patterns.

The report showed 1,512 in‑home cases at quarter end serving about 3,500 children, and monthly home‑visit rates that have improved in recent fourth quarters. DCFS reported a falling foster‑care population and roughly equal numbers of entries and discharges; discharge reasons listed 40% reunification and 25% adoption. At quarter end more than 78% of children in care were in family‑like settings, monthly visits to children in foster care were 85%, and 75% of siblings were placed together.

Wright said reoccurrence of maltreatment within the measured period was about 6%, which she said remained below the national standard. The number of children available for adoption at quarter end was 97, and DCFS finalized 21 adoptions in the quarter; 40% of those adoptions were by relatives and 34% involved youth older than 10.

Lawmakers pressed for county‑level detail after committee members pointed to large caseload swings in particular counties. Representative Wardlaw asked why Bradley County’s reported caseloads went from 0 in one report to more than 22 in another; Wright explained that a reported “0” signifies no assigned county caseworker at the time and that cases are moved to neighboring counties when necessary. She confirmed the agency regularly moves cases to ensure they are worked and said workforce shortages drive much of that variation.

Members asked about retention measures. Wright said turnover has improved from roughly 60% to about 48% and that the recent pay plan is expected to assist recruitment and retention. She described non‑monetary efforts including trauma‑informed supports (CSIRT training), work groups with the University of Arkansas to redesign new‑staff training, supervisor training initiatives and periodic workload analyses intended to balance staff and cases across counties. The division reported a recent hiring event produced six hires.

On criminally severe maltreatment, Representative Tosh asked who leads those investigations; Wright said the hotline assigns calls either to DCFS or to the Crimes Against Children Division (CACD) of the Arkansas State Police and that more severe allegations typically go to CACD.

Committee members also reviewed a statutorily required overturned‑investigations report (submitted Dec. 1, 2024 under Act 1025 of 2017). Wright walked through the example for one county, showing the number of hotline reports, accepted investigations, findings and appeals; in Benton County the report listed 5,349 hotline reports, 2,124 accepted for investigation, 312 found true (14%), 29 appeals and two overturned findings (about 6.9% of appealed cases). Wright said a follow‑up report for 2025 would be submitted next month.

The committee moved to review the DCFS rules packet and approved the rules review by voice vote. No public comments were reported during the notice period.

Committee members asked DCFS to provide additional county‑level staffing numbers offline and to return with more definitive information on training and retention steps.

What happened next: the committee approved the rules review and closed the item; DCFS said another overturned‑investigations report will be filed next month.","Arkansas Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS) presented technical rule changes and a third-quarter performance report to a legislative committee, reporting staffing-driven delays in investigation timeliness, county caseload swings, and continued declines in the number of children in foster care.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Arkansas Crimes Against Children Division reports 64,956 hotline contacts in 2024, 29% substantiation rate for investigations

Restore Hope presents HopeHub collaborative‑care model, credits 100 Families sites with higher reunification and lower foster‑care counts

DCFS officials cite staff turnover and timeliness gaps while reporting decline in foster-care population