Arkansas Foster Kids Drops By 13% & Foster Care Caseloads Down 12%

On September 6, 2017, the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) reported that foster care caseloads had dropped by 12% from a statewide average of 28 in November 2016 to an average of 22 in September 2017. This is likely due in part to the drop in the number of children in foster care—13.2% lower than expected. Based on 2016 trends, the DHS Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) had projected there would be 5,800 children in foster care by August 2017; however, the actual number of children in care was 5,035.

These statistics were . . .