Arkansas Code of 1987 (2023) › Title 9 - FAMILY LAW (§§ 9-2-101 — 9-34-204) › Subtitle 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS (§§ 9-2-101 — 9-6-112) › Chapter 5 - ARKANSAS CHILD SAFETY CENTER ACT (§§ 9-5-101 — 9-5-115) › Section 9-5-104 - Duties of Children's Advocacy Centers of Arkansas - Child safety centers

(a)
The Department of Finance and Administration shall:
(1)
Distribute grants to one (1) or more child safety centers and an entity receiving funding under this chapter;
(2)
(A)
Retain oversight of all grants distributed under this chapter.
(B)
The Secretary of the Department of Finance and Administration or his or her designee shall be the agency contact concerning the oversight of grants distributed under this chapter; and
(3)
Evaluate the Children's Advocacy Centers of Arkansas's quarterly reports concerning funding received by the Children's Advocacy Centers of Arkansas and each child safety center.
(b)
The Department of Finance and Administration and the Children's Advocacy Centers of Arkansas shall work together to:
(1)
(A)
Establish the criteria for grant applications and awards under this chapter.
(B)
A grant application shall be submitted directly to the Department of Finance and Administration;
(2)
(A)
Establish the criteria for awarding or denying a grant application under this chapter.
(B)
The Department of Finance and Administration shall remit funds awarded to a child safety center directly to the child safety center;
(3)
Annually evaluate each child safety center for compliance with the best program practices of the Children's Advocacy Centers of Arkansas, fiscal, and training requirements under this chapter;
(4)
Promote and uphold procedures to implement this chapter and the forms for the evaluation of each child safety center;
(5)
Adopt a uniform system of recordkeeping and reporting to ensure the proper handling of funds by child safety centers and to ensure uniformity and accountability by child safety centers;
(6)
Provide training and technical assistance to child safety centers to ensure best practice standards for forensic interviews, prevention, and medical evaluations; and
(7)
Coordinate and provide training statewide for multidisciplinary teams.
(c)
The Children's Advocacy Centers of Arkansas may enter into contracts with any entity to fulfill its duties under this chapter.
(d)
A child safety center shall:
(1)
Receive, review, and track reporting from the Department of Human Services relating to the alleged abuse or neglect of a child in order to ensure a consistent and comprehensive approach to providing services to a child and the family of a child who is the victim of alleged abuse or neglect;
(2)
Work with participating agencies relating to the delivery of services to a child and the family of a child who is the alleged victim of abuse or neglect;
(3)
Provide support services to a child and the family of a child who is the alleged victim of abuse or neglect;
(4)
Provide forensic interviews that are conducted in a neutral, fact-finding manner and coordinated to avoid duplicative interviewing;
(5)
Provide access to specialized medical evaluations and treatment services to a child who is the alleged victim of abuse or neglect;
(6)
Provide access to evidence-based, trauma-focused mental health services to a child who is the alleged victim of abuse or neglect; and
(7)
Provide a child-focused setting that is comfortable, private, and physically safe for a diverse population.
Amended by Act 2021, No. 975,§ 3, eff. 7/28/2021.
Acts 2007, No. 703, § 5