Each year, the Arkansas Department of Human Services Division of Children and Family Services produces an annual report card. The document provides a statewide report on child maltreatment, foster care, and adoption. This report card is available to the public (click here for the link). We strongly advise all parties who are passionate about child abuse to learn more about what is happening in our state and communities.
While there have been improvements in foster care during this reporting period (July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017), we were most disappointed to see an increase in the number of children in care in our region (Area 1) compared to last year. With 1,001 children in care, our area reported a 9% increase in children in care for the year. That makes our job at CASA that much harder to grow to meet the needs of our community. Our staff and board continue to make adjustments to our plan to serve every child in need by 2020. With your continued support, we know we will get there.