Agency investigation or safety plan
Keep the worker’s contact information, allegations, notices and any written plan. Ask counsel about interviews, consent and next steps. A caseworker is not your lawyer.
Investigation checklist →Parents · relatives · caregivers · young people
CPS & DCFS case resources
Understand the process, find the right help, and prepare your next step in an Arkansas child-welfare case.
14 practical checklists · 19 source-linked resources · published DCFS area assignments for all 75 counties.
Legal information and preparation, not legal advice. These guides have not been professionally reviewed. Confirm current law, your signed orders and all dates with qualified help.
If a child is in immediate danger, call 911. To report suspected child abuse or neglect, use Arkansas’s official reporting instructions or call 1-800-482-5964. Reporting is separate from getting updates or contesting a decision in an existing case.
Start by identifying the process
Dependency-neglect court case
Read the petition and signed orders. Confirm the juvenile division and hearing date; ask promptly about parent counsel, placement and family time.
Removal and hearing checklist →True finding or registry notice
A child-maltreatment administrative appeal is a separate route. Read the actual notice and DHS instructions immediately. A complaint or records request does not preserve an appeal deadline.
Finding and appeal checklist →Find the route for your county
St. Francis County — DCFS Area X
This is the administrative assignment in the official DCFS area directory. The directory publishes no direct phone or address for this area.
Call the DCFS central office at 501-682-8770 to ask for the responsible county team or supervisor. For an existing case, confirm the assigned worker from your papers.
General DHS county-office contacts
These are general DHS office numbers, not independently verified direct caseworker lines. DCFS’s youth-services page directs people to ask a local DHS office for its DCFS county supervisor. Ask the office to confirm the appropriate team, location and hours before traveling.
St. Francis DHS county office
County DHS contact for SNAP, Medicaid and TEA application questions. Ask about documents, interviews, notices and appeals.
1200 East Broadway, Forrest City, AR 72336-0899
Published county match: St. Francis
Published hours: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. Confirm services and hours before traveling.
Source, date and limits
Service-directory information, not legal authority or a promise of eligibility, representation, funding or an open appointment. Confirm details with the provider.
Editorial source extraction; no professional legal review.
Source retrieved 2026-10-12 UTC. Retrieval date is not the source’s publication date or a confirmation of current availability.
County filter St. Francis; office heading St. Francis · Source ↗
Source SHA-256: be2e84b7ca31f47dbdb49cfc5209e6701fba70ee3b620cc749784dbae1705a6c
Circuit clerk: confirm the juvenile division and hearing logistics
The county where you live may differ from the county handling the case. Use the court named in your papers. Juvenile files may be confidential; a missing public search result does not mean there is no case.
St. Francis County circuit clerk — Alan T. Smith
Filing and case-routing contact.
313 South Izard, Forrest City, 72335
Published county match: St. Francis
Clerks cannot give legal strategy. Confirm court, division, courthouse, mailing versus street address and filing method.
Source, date and limits
Service-directory information, not legal authority or a promise of eligibility, representation, funding or an open appointment. Confirm details with the provider.
Editorial source extraction; no professional legal review.
Source retrieved 2026-10-12 UTC. Retrieval date is not the source’s publication date or a confirmation of current availability.
St. Francis County; circuit clerk; Alan T. Smith · Source ↗
Source SHA-256: 0b4c5ee03ef79799dd047b549a848c074df2d2a6b1ad74750b926b17a177b8dc
Which sounds closest to your situation?
Open a guide for suggested steps, documents to gather, source links and a printable or downloadable checklist. Your county selection travels with the guide.
CPS or DCFS is investigating my familyDCFS wants me to sign or follow a safety planMy child was removed and I have an emergency hearingI need a lawyer for a dependency-neglect caseI need help with my DCFS case plan or reunification servicesI am missing visits with my child in foster careA relative is in foster care and I want to help or seek placementI need my DCFS investigation file or foster-care case recordsI received a true finding or Child Maltreatment Registry noticeI received a termination-of-parental-rights petition or adoption-goal noticeI have a concern about DCFS handling my caseI need an interpreter or disability accommodation in my DCFS caseMy child may have a tribal connection relevant to a child-welfare caseI am in foster care or leaving care and need school, housing or health support
Who can help with what?
- Parent counsel
- Your lawyer in the court case. Ask the court about requesting counsel and determining eligibility. Civil legal-aid screening is a separate route.
- Attorney ad litem
- The child’s lawyer, not the parent’s lawyer. The child’s interests and wishes have their own representation.
- DCFS worker and supervisor
- Agency contact for the case plan, referrals, placement and visit scheduling within the orders. They do not give you independent legal advice.
- Circuit clerk or court staff
- Filing logistics, hearing arrangements and access to permitted records. They cannot choose your legal strategy.
- Child Welfare Ombudsman
- Independent review of child-welfare concerns through the Inspector General. A complaint does not replace court action, an administrative appeal or emergency reporting.
Prepare questions about representation → · Prepare a service concern or complaint →
Judiciary family guide: court roles (2024) · Current Child Welfare Ombudsman office
Arkansas CPS resource library
English and Spanish family guides, records requests, appeal instructions, relatives and resource families, youth transitions, school support, disability access, interpreters and ICWA. Each listing includes its source, capture date, hash and limits.
The relatives page is explicitly archived after April 2026. The 2024 family guides and the Judiciary’s 2025 Code compilation are background sources; verify later amendments and your actual orders with counsel. Current ombudsman contact information comes from the Inspector General.
DCFS central office and area directory
Agency routing, assigned-worker and supervisor contact questions.
Statewide or federal access route; local availability must be checked.
Central office number; not a direct county caseworker line or emergency dispatch.
Source, date and limits
Service-directory information, not legal authority or a promise of eligibility, representation, funding or an open appointment. Confirm details with the provider.
Editorial source extraction; no professional legal review.
Source retrieved 2026-10-12 UTC. Retrieval date is not the source’s publication date or a confirmation of current availability.
DCFS central office and area directory · Source ↗
Source SHA-256: 6984276111c111d1bdffe39826ff8d92ba7d964e4e769c192bdb5cdb8de8e328
Report suspected child abuse or neglect
Official Arkansas reporting instructions and the child-abuse hotline.
Statewide or federal access route; local availability must be checked.
Reporting route, not a case-status, visitation or appeal service. Call 911 for immediate danger. The mandated-reporter portal has its own access requirements.
Source, date and limits
Service-directory information, not legal authority or a promise of eligibility, representation, funding or an open appointment. Confirm details with the provider.
Editorial source extraction; no professional legal review.
Source retrieved 2026-10-12 UTC. Retrieval date is not the source’s publication date or a confirmation of current availability.
Report suspected child abuse or neglect · Source ↗
Source SHA-256: 352fa1c1541a95d1390d629a69ef8d9eb757d75008ae8cc0761717130ed31f39
Family guide to dependency-neglect court — English
Court roles, hearing types, a calendar and preparation for families.
Statewide or federal access route; local availability must be checked.
Published March 2024. Educational overview; older terminology, citations or timing may differ from later law. Check current orders and qualified counsel.
Source, date and limits
Service-directory information, not legal authority or a promise of eligibility, representation, funding or an open appointment. Confirm details with the provider.
Editorial source extraction; no professional legal review.
Source retrieved 2026-10-12 UTC. Retrieval date is not the source’s publication date or a confirmation of current availability.
Family guide to dependency-neglect court — English · Source ↗
Source SHA-256: daf62c5966d832a1f1aa9a7606ad89853392453ef33291a5bca7e228980909cf
Family guide to dependency-neglect court — Spanish
Spanish-language companion to the Judiciary family guide.
Statewide or federal access route; local availability must be checked.
Published with the 2024 family guide. Educational overview, not an interpreter appointment or a substitute for current legal advice.
Source, date and limits
Service-directory information, not legal authority or a promise of eligibility, representation, funding or an open appointment. Confirm details with the provider.
Editorial source extraction; no professional legal review.
Source retrieved 2026-10-12 UTC. Retrieval date is not the source’s publication date or a confirmation of current availability.
Family guide to dependency-neglect court — Spanish · Source ↗
Source SHA-256: f215035921898055ed11da9c38a32df7b9ae00bd0000504c51d5f73a8bf75976
Juvenile Code research and parent-counsel questions
Judiciary-hosted Juvenile Code compilation; review representation and hearing provisions with an Arkansas attorney.
Statewide or federal access route; local availability must be checked.
This compilation describes Act 518 of 2025 and includes prospective effective-date language. It is not certified current through later amendments. Ask the court promptly about requesting parent counsel and eligibility; an appointment is not guaranteed by this listing.
Source, date and limits
Service-directory information, not legal authority or a promise of eligibility, representation, funding or an open appointment. Confirm details with the provider.
Editorial source extraction; no professional legal review.
Source retrieved 2026-10-12 UTC. Retrieval date is not the source’s publication date or a confirmation of current availability.
Juvenile Code research and parent-counsel questions · Source ↗
Source SHA-256: 521cdd32a7ca1d964cdfb3e43eac12728fa522500329eaa76ce285525f5833bf
Attorney Ad Litem Program — representation for the child
Understand the child attorney’s role in dependency-neglect court.
Statewide or federal access route; local availability must be checked.
The child’s attorney represents the child’s interests and communicates the child’s wishes. This is not the parent’s lawyer or an application for parent representation.
Source, date and limits
Service-directory information, not legal authority or a promise of eligibility, representation, funding or an open appointment. Confirm details with the provider.
Editorial source extraction; no professional legal review.
Source retrieved 2026-10-12 UTC. Retrieval date is not the source’s publication date or a confirmation of current availability.
Attorney Ad Litem Program — representation for the child · Source ↗
Source SHA-256: 0c15309195a53eb47bbc0ca3b26f918468b640c71d5c969308952d0c9123f2d5
Relatives and kinship care — archived DCFS guide
Background questions about relative notification, assessment, provisional care and permanency.
Statewide or federal access route; local availability must be checked.
DCFS marks this page archived and says it will not be updated after April 2026. Ask the assigned worker and counsel for current requirements; family relationship alone does not authorize placement or guarantee approval.
Source, date and limits
Service-directory information, not legal authority or a promise of eligibility, representation, funding or an open appointment. Confirm details with the provider.
Editorial source extraction; no professional legal review.
Source retrieved 2026-10-12 UTC. Retrieval date is not the source’s publication date or a confirmation of current availability.
Relatives and kinship care — archived DCFS guide · Source ↗
Source SHA-256: 3aaee5bd6706e1566c95d5eee17eb1692adb253f0bdd2e4313d9b8638681767c
DCFS investigation and case-file requests
Separate official request routes for an investigation file and an in-home or foster-care case file.
Statewide or federal access route; local availability must be checked.
Confidential records have requester, timing, redaction and form requirements. The investigation-file route lists a notarized form and fee; do not assume those same conditions apply to every request. A records request does not extend an appeal deadline.
Source, date and limits
Service-directory information, not legal authority or a promise of eligibility, representation, funding or an open appointment. Confirm details with the provider.
Editorial source extraction; no professional legal review.
Source retrieved 2026-10-12 UTC. Retrieval date is not the source’s publication date or a confirmation of current availability.
DCFS investigation and case-file requests · Source ↗
Source SHA-256: 551bad4532a7a876720959297970d41dfa58ef849c62601582dca2be7b3358af
DHS administrative hearing request — child-maltreatment finding
Find the child-maltreatment true-finding appeal instructions on the DHS appeals page.
Statewide or federal access route; local availability must be checked.
DHS describes 30 calendar days from getting the true-finding notice to request an administrative hearing. Confirm the actual notice, applicable rule, delivery and receipt requirements immediately. This is separate from a juvenile-court appeal; the site does not calculate your deadline.
Source, date and limits
Service-directory information, not legal authority or a promise of eligibility, representation, funding or an open appointment. Confirm details with the provider.
Editorial source extraction; no professional legal review.
Source retrieved 2026-10-12 UTC. Retrieval date is not the source’s publication date or a confirmation of current availability.
DHS administrative hearing request — child-maltreatment finding · Source ↗
Source SHA-256: 1d07e8dc978f3cb69b0ce84d7aa8004c88105241ab04e34e37b891248686fda8
Arkansas rule: DCFS unfavorable-decision appeals
Read 9 CAR § 40-1003 alongside the actual decision notice and qualified advice.
Statewide or federal access route; local availability must be checked.
The rule addresses specified agency decisions, including true findings and certain subsidy decisions. It is not a general deadline for every CPS issue or a juvenile-court appeal.
Source, date and limits
Service-directory information, not legal authority or a promise of eligibility, representation, funding or an open appointment. Confirm details with the provider.
Editorial source extraction; no professional legal review.
Source retrieved 2026-10-12 UTC. Retrieval date is not the source’s publication date or a confirmation of current availability.
Arkansas rule: DCFS unfavorable-decision appeals · Source ↗
Source SHA-256: 0888006e8807f05c1c665202f9498d0fc10b05d55a90e3a83fe100d0aa1982fb
Child Welfare Ombudsman — Inspector General
Independent review of concerns related to a juvenile court case or investigation; ask about scope and intake.
900 West Capitol Avenue, Suite 310, Little Rock, AR 72201
Statewide or federal access route; local availability must be checked.
Current agency page identifies the Child Welfare Ombudsman within the Inspector General’s Division of Ombudsman. A complaint is not a court filing, appeal, emergency report or promise that an order will change.
Source, date and limits
Service-directory information, not legal authority or a promise of eligibility, representation, funding or an open appointment. Confirm details with the provider.
Editorial source extraction; no professional legal review.
Source retrieved 2026-10-12 UTC. Retrieval date is not the source’s publication date or a confirmation of current availability.
Child Welfare Ombudsman — Inspector General · Source ↗
Source SHA-256: 6969ab4b7aff74e0ab0c5714819d003de107ff7384922af3f7546ba5b5c59f04
DCFS foster and resource-family portal information
Official portal-access information for resource families and board-payment questions; ask your resource worker about access.
Statewide or federal access route; local availability must be checked.
The agency describes the portal as undergoing changes; prospective features are not verified available. Portal information does not itself authorize custody, travel, medical consent or contact contrary to an order.
Source, date and limits
Service-directory information, not legal authority or a promise of eligibility, representation, funding or an open appointment. Confirm details with the provider.
Editorial source extraction; no professional legal review.
Source retrieved 2026-10-12 UTC. Retrieval date is not the source’s publication date or a confirmation of current availability.
DCFS foster and resource-family portal information · Source ↗
Source SHA-256: 788321ecf7a179527d269d518b0dd4e18b4585a38fa64fed09ee8cbe00d19e7d
Older youth and former foster-youth services
Transitional planning, extended care, education, housing and health-coverage questions.
Statewide or federal access route; local availability must be checked.
Published youth-services contact. Eligibility and local program participation vary; housing vouchers are not verified available in all counties. Ask for the assigned Transitional Youth Services coordinator.
Source, date and limits
Service-directory information, not legal authority or a promise of eligibility, representation, funding or an open appointment. Confirm details with the provider.
Editorial source extraction; no professional legal review.
Source retrieved 2026-10-12 UTC. Retrieval date is not the source’s publication date or a confirmation of current availability.
Older youth and former foster-youth services · Source ↗
Source SHA-256: f17cb5cd447c5d70126092f7e5ec3a08e07878a74dcb90381a42967c92aa4813
Education support for students in foster care
Arkansas DESE foster-care education guidance and district liaison resources.
Statewide or federal access route; local availability must be checked.
A statewide education route; ask the actual school district to confirm its current foster-care liaison, school placement, records transfer and transportation. An older linked roster is not current staff verification.
Source, date and limits
Service-directory information, not legal authority or a promise of eligibility, representation, funding or an open appointment. Confirm details with the provider.
Editorial source extraction; no professional legal review.
Source retrieved 2026-10-12 UTC. Retrieval date is not the source’s publication date or a confirmation of current availability.
Education support for students in foster care · Source ↗
Source SHA-256: e15a514f04d873a2f01ec30319bfa61f4c85c8f68f680022170750f58c622cf3
Court Interpreter Services — contact team
Arrange language or communication assistance with the court or your attorney.
Statewide or federal access route; local availability must be checked.
Contact information is not confirmation that an interpreter has been assigned. Notify the court of the hearing date and language or communication need and obtain confirmation.
Source, date and limits
Service-directory information, not legal authority or a promise of eligibility, representation, funding or an open appointment. Confirm details with the provider.
Editorial source extraction; no professional legal review.
Source retrieved 2026-10-12 UTC. Retrieval date is not the source’s publication date or a confirmation of current availability.
Court Interpreter Services — contact team · Source ↗
Source SHA-256: 7566a806e406a4fb5c3cfddc7294102873d8b83c0e7cedb1046f35b58f389464
Rights of parents with disabilities — DOJ
Federal information about disability access in child-welfare agencies and courts.
Statewide or federal access route; local availability must be checked.
Federal guidance, not a determination that discrimination occurred. Ask about reasonable modifications and effective communication for the specific service; preserve separate complaint and court deadlines.
Source, date and limits
Service-directory information, not legal authority or a promise of eligibility, representation, funding or an open appointment. Confirm details with the provider.
Editorial source extraction; no professional legal review.
Source retrieved 2026-10-12 UTC. Retrieval date is not the source’s publication date or a confirmation of current availability.
Rights of parents with disabilities — DOJ · Source ↗
Source SHA-256: 831c9aa6848ad229818a3f08d5b33e98f5f9c96b71438f7c4bf441dc4df293d0
Indian Child Welfare Act — BIA resources
Federal ICWA information for tribal affiliation, notice and child-welfare questions.
Statewide or federal access route; local availability must be checked.
A possible tribal connection should be discussed promptly with counsel and the relevant tribe. This listing does not decide tribal membership, ICWA applicability, jurisdiction or placement.
Source, date and limits
Service-directory information, not legal authority or a promise of eligibility, representation, funding or an open appointment. Confirm details with the provider.
Editorial source extraction; no professional legal review.
Source retrieved 2026-10-12 UTC. Retrieval date is not the source’s publication date or a confirmation of current availability.
Indian Child Welfare Act — BIA resources · Source ↗
Source SHA-256: 81076ec9d6a9cebb5a74cf9e12d8a0b7c06432187a14475b683ecde0657c83cb
Legal Aid of Arkansas — civil intake
Request civil legal screening or a referral and identify that the issue concerns DCFS or dependency-neglect.
Statewide or federal access route; local availability must be checked.
Intake screens eligibility, conflicts, case priorities and capacity. Civil legal-aid intake is separate from court-appointed parent counsel; acceptance is not guaranteed.
Source, date and limits
Service-directory information, not legal authority or a promise of eligibility, representation, funding or an open appointment. Confirm details with the provider.
Editorial source extraction; no professional legal review.
Source retrieved 2026-10-12 UTC. Retrieval date is not the source’s publication date or a confirmation of current availability.
Legal Aid of Arkansas — civil intake · Source ↗
Source SHA-256: 16c41c8b6a50287f35a6fd572eb25f8025807218c1201aa2857d98d112b84575
Circuit clerk directory — juvenile-division questions
Locate the circuit clerk and confirm the juvenile division, copies, filing method and hearing location.
Statewide or federal access route; local availability must be checked.
Juvenile records may be confidential or restricted. Absence from public case search does not mean no case exists. A clerk cannot select a legal strategy or act as your attorney.
Source, date and limits
Service-directory information, not legal authority or a promise of eligibility, representation, funding or an open appointment. Confirm details with the provider.
Editorial source extraction; no professional legal review.
Source retrieved 2026-10-12 UTC. Retrieval date is not the source’s publication date or a confirmation of current availability.
Circuit clerk directory — juvenile-division questions · Source ↗
Source SHA-256: 0b4c5ee03ef79799dd047b549a848c074df2d2a6b1ad74750b926b17a177b8dc
Keep case information private
This page asks only for a county. Keep children’s names, addresses, case numbers, medical records and placement details out of public chat and shared documents. Use the official provider’s secure submission route when records are required.
Download CPS coverage and source receipts (JSON)
Explore the existing child-welfare research desk → · All Family Matters guides → · All Resources →