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Senate committee hears DCFS annual report showing foster‑care rise and staffing shortfalls
Summary
Director Misha Martin told the Senate Children and Youth Committee that Arkansas saw an 11% increase in children in foster care in SFY2021, workforce vacancies (198) and heightened caseloads; she described prevention programs, pay changes and targeted hires to stabilize counties such as Pulaski.
Director Misha Martin, director of the Division of Children and Family Services, told the Senate Children and Youth Committee that Arkansas saw measurable increases in foster‑care caseloads during state fiscal year 2021 and is responding with prevention programs and workforce changes.
"The child abuse hotline received 30,935 or accepted 30,935 reports," Martin said, adding that DCFS investigated 21,049 reports and served 4,029 families via differential response. She noted investigations with true findings rose slightly to 29% and that the state recorded 53 maltreatment investigations involving a child fatality in SFY2021.
Martin said initiation and…
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