Arkansas Administrative Code › Agency 016 - DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES › Division 15 - Children and Family Services › Rule 016.15.16-001 - Division policy change regarding when a child is missing from an out-of-hom placement

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 6, June, 2024
Occasionally there are instances when a child or youth may
				leave an out-of-home placement without authorization. Any of these instances
				will result in immediate action from the placement provider as outlined for the
				various circumstances below.
In all instances of missing children, the Division of Children
				and Family Services (DCFS) will collaborate with the placement provider, law
				enforcement, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)
				in an effort to locate the child.
Children in foster care who are located after they run away
				from Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) approved placements
				in another state are handled by the DCFS ICPC office. However, if a pick- up
				order is issued, the Interstate Compact for Juveniles (ICJ) applies.
Neither ICJ nor ICPC are applicable to children who are not in
				foster care and are kidnapped (by either a custodial or non-custodial parent)
				in one state and taken to another state. These situations are a matter between
				the legal custodian and law enforcement. However, for children with whom the
				Division comes into contact due to an interference with custody issue not
				related to a child who is in DHS custody, please refer to Policy VI-I:
				Interference with Custody.
Child Who May Have Been Taken from an Out-of-Home
				Placement
If the placement provider has reason to believe the child was
				taken from the placement without authorization by another individual, then the
				placement provider will immediately notify the youth's primary Family Service
				Worker (FSW) caseworker and primary FSW caseworker's supervisor. The
				out-of-home placement provider will also begin an immediate search for the
				child/youth. The search will entail the following actions:
A. Searching the immediate premises; and,
B. Searching the community and
			 contacting the child's friends and other contacts who may know of, or have
			 information regarding the child's whereabouts.
Upon notification from the placement provider, the youth's
				primary FSW caseworker and primary FSW caseworker's supervisor will ensure the
				following individuals are notified of the child's disappearance:
A. Area Director
B. Assistant Director of Community Services
			 or designee
The primary FSW caseworker will then follow the steps outlined
				in Procedure VII-N1 below.
The Assistant Director of Community Services or designee will
				then notify the DCFS Director.
Child Who May Have Run Away .
If the placement provider has reason to believe the child left
				the out-of-home placement of his or her own accord (i.e., run away), then the
				out-of-home placement provider will begin an immediate search for the
				child/youth. The search will entail the following actions:
A. Searching the immediate premises;
			 and,
B. Searching the community and
			 contacting the child's friends and other contacts who may know of, or have
			 information regarding the child's whereabouts.
If the child is located within one hour of initiating the
				search, the placement provider will notify the primary FSW caseworker and
				primary FSW caseworker's supervisor of the incident no later than the next
				calendar day. The child's primary FSW caseworker will document the incident
				(i.e., child ran away but was located within one hour) accordingly in CHRIS
				contacts. The primary FSW caseworker, or secondary FSW caseworker, as
				appropriate, will also conduct a visit with the child and placement provider by
				the next business day to assess why the child ran away and what immediate steps
				may need to be taken to better support both the child and placement
				provider.
If the child who is believed to have run away of his/her own
				accord cannot be located within one hour of initiating the search, then at that
				point the out-of-home placement provider will immediately notify the youth's
				primary Family Service Worker (FSW) caseworker and primary FSW caseworker's
				supervisor. The primary FSW caseworker will then follow the steps outlined in
				Procedure VII-N1 below, to include ensuring the Area Director is also notified
				of the child's disappearance.
PROCEDURE VII-N1: When a Child is Reported Missing from
				an Out-of-Home Placement
01/2017
After receiving notification of the child's disappearance by
				the placement provider, the
primary
FSW caseworker will:
A. Notify the child's secondary FSW and TYS
			 Coordinator (if applicable) and attorney ad litem within two hours.
1) This notification may occur via email,
			 phone, or text.