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Home > Advocacy > State Fact Sheets for 2008 > Arkansas

 
 

ARKANSAS'S CHILDREN 2008

Arkansas's Children At a Glance

 
 State Population 1  2,810,872 
 Population, Children Under 18 2  675,622 
 State Poverty Rate 3  17.7% 
 Poverty Rate, Children Under 18 4  26.6% 
 Poverty Rate, Children Ages 5-17 5  21.2% 
 Poverty Rate, Children Under 5 6  29.4% 
All statistics are for 2006.

CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT

  • In 2005, Arkansas had 35,376 total referrals for child abuse and neglect. Of those, 23,120 reports were referred for investigation. 7
  • In 2005, 6,078 children were substantiated or indicated as abused or neglected in Arkansas, a rate of 12 per 1,000 children, and representing a 10% increase from 2004. Of these children, 55.7% were neglected, 19.3% were physically abused, and 29.2% were sexually abused. 11
  • In 2005, 17 children died as a result of abuse or neglect in Arkansas. 11
  • In 2005, 3,253 children in Arkansas lived apart from their families in out-of-home care, compared with 3,097 children in 2004. In 2005, 34.4% of the children living apart from their families were age 5 or younger, and 19.4% were 16 or older. 11
  • Of the children in out-of-home care in 2005, 57.2% were white, 28.2% black, 5.8% Hispanic, and 8.8% children of other races and ethnicities; none were American Indian/Alaskan Native. 11

PERMANENT FAMILIES FOR CHILDREN

  • Of the 3,380 children exiting out-of-home care in 2005, 78.9% were reunited with their parents or other family members. 12
  • In 2005, 316 children were legally adopted through the public child welfare agency in Arkansas, a 4.7% decrease from 331 in 2004. 13
  • Of the 3,253 children in out-of-home care in 2005, 999, or 30.7%, were waiting to be adopted. 14

KINSHIP SUPPORT

  • In 2005, approximately 40,148 Arkansas grandparents had primary responsibility caring for their grandchildren. 15
  • Of the 3,253 children in out-of-home care in 2005, 6.4% were living with relatives while in care. 16
  • Of all Arkansas children in kinship care in 2005, 55.8% were white, 32.7% were black, 4.3% were Hispanic, none were American Indian/ Alaskan Native, and 7.2% were other races. 17

CHILD POVERTY AND INCOME SUPPORT

  • The total individuals receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in Arkansas increased from 16,981 in March 2006 to 19,165 in March 2007, an increase of 13.9%. The number of families receiving TANF in March 2007 was 8,447, a 3.1% increase from March 2006. 18
  • In 2003, a family of three receiving only TANF and food stamp benefits in Arkansas was at 34.6% of the federal poverty level. 19
  • In 2006, Arkansas spent $74,367,776 in TANF funds, including 20.6% on basic assistance, 79.4% on nonassistance, and none on child care or transportation. 20
  • In 2006, Arkansas collected and distributed $166,999,427 in child support funds, an increase of 7.7% from 2005. 21
  • In 2006, the fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Arkansas was $541 per month. The wage necessary to afford this two-bedroom apartment was $10.40 per hour working a 40-hour week. 22

CHILD CARE AND HEAD START

  • In 2005, Arkansas had an estimated monthly average of 10,300 children served by subsidized child care; 14,700 children received subsidized child care in 2004, and 12,900 in 2003. 23
  • In 2007, to be eligible for subsidized child care in Arkansas a family of three could make no more than $35,724, which is equivalent to 83% of the state's median income. 24
  • In 2007, Arkansas had 1,350 children on its waiting list for child care assistance. 25
  • In 2006, Head Start served 10,778 Arkansas children, a 1.5% increase from 2005. 26

HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE

  • In 2004, 359,700 children younger than 19 were enrolled in Medicaid in Arkansas, representing 51.4% of the total number of enrollees. 27
  • In 2004, 10,142 children were enrolled in Medicaid in Arkansas on the basis of being in foster care. 28
  • In 2004, Arkansas spent $24,531,381 on Medicaid services for children in foster care, and $2,419 per foster care enrollee on Medicaid services. 29
  • Arkansas reported spending $0 of its total Medicaid spending in 2004 for children in foster care on targeted case management services. 30
  • Arkansas reported spending $0 of its total Medicaid expenditures in 2004 for foster children on rehabilitative services. 31
  • In 2006, Arkansas had 3,440 children enrolled in its Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), a 64.71% increase from 2005, when 1,214 children were enrolled. 32
  • In 2004, 3,593 babies were born weighing less than 2,500 grams, giving Arkansas a rank of 43 nationally in percent of low-weight births (1 being the best, and 50 the worst). 33
  • In 2004, 319 infants younger than age 1 died in Arkansas, giving it a rank of 40 nationally in infant mortality rates (1 being the best, and 50 the worst). 34
  • In 2004, the birth rate for teens 15-17 in Arkansas was 30.7 births per 1,000 girls; for teens 18-19, the rate was 104.1. This reflects a total rate of 60.3 births per 1,000 girls ages 15-19. 35
  • Cumulative through 2005, 4,307 adults and adolescents, as well as 16 children under the age of 13, were reported as having HIV/AIDS in Arkansas. 36
  • In 2005, an estimated 21,000 children ages 12-17, and 108,000 adults 26 and older, were dependent on or abusing illicit drugs or alcohol in Arkansas. 37

VULNERABLE YOUTH

  • In 2005, 232 children aged out of out-of-home care in Arkansas. 38
  • In 2005, 12,000 Arkansas teens ages 16-19 were high school dropouts. 39
  • In 2005, 19% of teens ages 16-19 were not enrolled in school, were not working, and had no degree beyond high school. 40
  • In 2005, approximately 13,000 children ages 12-17 in Arkansas needed but had not received treatment for illicit drug use in the past year. 41
  • In 2005, approximately 11,000 children ages 12-17 needed but had not received treatment for alcohol use in the past year. 42
  • In 2004, 13 children younger than 20 committed suicide, a rate of 1.72 per 100,000 children. 43

JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION

  • In 2004, 8 children younger than 18 were killed in firearm homicides in Arkansas, a 33% increase from 6 in 2003. 44
  • In 2006, 11,389 children younger than 18 were arrested in Arkansas, an 8 % increase from 12,380 arrests in 2005. Of the arrests in 2006, 515 were for violent crimes and 166 were for possession of a weapon. 45
  • A 2003 census of juvenile offenders showed 675 children in juvenile correction facilities in Arkansas. 46

FUNDING CHILD WELFARE SERVICES FOR ARKANSAS'S CHILDREN

  • In 2004, Arkansas spent $98,705,298 for child welfare services. Child welfare services are all direct and administrative services the state agency provides to children and families. Of this amount, 62% was from federal funds, and 38% was from state funds. 47
  • In 2004, of the $61,135,611 in federal funds received for child welfare, 73% was from Title IV-E Foster Care and Adoption Assistance, 23% came from Title IV-B Child Welfare Services and Promoting Safe and Stable Families, 1% came from the Social Services Block Grant, 2% was from TANF, and 1% came from other federal sources. 48
  • Out of 3,253 children in out-of-home care in Arkansas in 2005, only 1,733 children, or 53.3%, received Title IV-E federal foster care assistance. 49

ARKANSAS'S CHILD WELFARE WORKFORCE

  • A 2003 General Accounting Office (GAO) report documented that staff shortages, high caseloads, high worker turnover and low salaries impinge on delivering services to achieve safety, permanence, and well being for children. 50
  • The federal Child and Family Service Reviews have clearly demonstrated that the more time a caseworker spends with a child and family, the better the outcomes for those children and families. 51
  • According to the 2003 GAO report, the average caseload for child welfare/foster care caseworkers is 24-31 children; these high caseloads contribute to high worker turnover and insufficient services being provided to children and families. CWLA recommends that foster care caseworkers have case-loads of 12-15 children. 52
  • In 2004, the minimum annual salary for a caseworker responsible for investigating reports of abuse and neglect in Arkansas was $23,768; the median income for a family of four was $48,353. 53

REFERENCES

  1. U.S. Bureau of the Census, Population Division. (2006). Table 1: Annual Estimates of the Population for the United States and States, and for Puerto Rico: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006 (NST_EST2006_ALLDATA). Retrieved online November 12, 2007. Washington, DC: Author. back
  2. Administration on Children, Youth and Families. (2007). Child Maltreatment 2005: Reports From the States to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System. Retrieved online November 16, 2007. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. back
  3. U.S. Bureau of the Census. (2007). Current Population Survey, 2007 Annual Social and Economic Supplement. Poverty Status by State: 2006. Retrieved November 12, 2007. Washington, DC: Author. back
  4. U.S. Bureau of the Census. (2007). Current Population Survey, 2007 Annual Social and Economic Supplement. Poverty Status by State: 2006: People Under 18 Years of Age. Retrieved November 12, 2007. Washington, DC: Author. back
  5. U.S. Bureau of the Census. (2007). Current Population Survey, 2007 Annual Social and Economic Supplement. Poverty Status by State: 2006: Related Children 5 to 17 Years of Age. Retrieved November 12, 2007. Washington, DC: Author. back
  6. U.S. Bureau of the Census. (2007). 2006 American Community Survey, Selected Economic Characteristics. Retrieved November 16, 2007. Washington, DC: Author. back
  7. Administration on Children, Youth and Families. (2007). Child Maltreatment 2005: Reports From the States to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System. Retrieved November 16, 2007. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. back
  8. Administration on Children, Youth and Families. (2007). Child Maltreatment 2005: Reports From the States to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System. Retrieved November 16, 2007 and table3_6.htm. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. back
  9. Administration on Children, Youth and Families. (2007). Child Maltreatment 2005: Reports From the States to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System. Retrieved November 16, 2007. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. back
  10. Child Welfare League of America. (2007). Special tabulation of the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis Reporting System. Washington, DC: Author. back
  11. "Other races and ethnicities" includes Asian, Pacific Islander, Hawaiian Native, unknown or unable to determine, missing data and two or more races. CWLA (2007) Special AFCARS tabulation. back
  12. CWLA (2007) Special AFCARS tabulation. back
  13. Ibid; CWLA (2006) Special AFCARS tabulation. back
  14. CWLA (2007) Special AFCARS tabulation. back
  15. U.S. Census Bureau. (2006). 2006 American Community Survey, Data Profile. Selected Social Characteristics: 2005. Retrieved online November 16, 2007. Washington, DC: Author. back
  16. CWLA (2006) Special AFCARS tabulation. back
  17. Ibid. back
  18. Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance. (n.d.). Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Separate State Program-Maintenance of Effort Aid to Families with Dependant Children: Caseload Data. Retrieved online, November 16, 2007. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. back
  19. Calculations by CWLA, based on U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2006). Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program: Sixth Annual Report to Congress. Retrieved online November 16, 2007. Washington, DC: Author; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. (2005). Food Stamp Program-Annual State Level Data - State Level Participation. Characteristics of Food Stamp Households: FY 2003. Retrieved online November 16, 2007. Washington, DC: Author; U.S. Department on Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. (2003). The 2003 HHS Poverty Guidelines. Retrieved online, November 16, 2007. Washington, DC: Author. back
  20. Administration for Children and Families. (2004). Combined Spending of Federal and States Funds Expended in FY 2004 Through the Fourth Quarter. Retrieved online, October 13, 2005. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. back
  21. Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Support Enforcement. (2007). Preliminary Data Report FY 2006, State Boxscores for FY 2006. Retrieved online, November 16, 2007. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. back
  22. Pitcoff, W.; Pelletiere, D.; Crowley, S.; Treskon, M.; & Dolbeare, C. (2007). Out of Reach 2006. Retrieved online, November 16, 2007. Washington, DC: National Low Income Housing Coalition. back
  23. Administration on Children and Families, Child Care Bureau. (2005). FFY 2005 CCDF Data Tables and Charts; Average Monthly Adjusted Number of Children and Families Served. Retrieved online, October 2, 2006. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Administration on Children and Families, Child Care Bureau. (2003). FFY 2003 CCDF Data Tables and Charts; Average Monthly Adjusted Number of Children and Families Served. Retrieved online, October 2, 2006. Washington, DC: HHS; Administration on Children and Families, Child Care Bureau. (2004). FFY 2004 CCDF Data Tables and Charts; Average Monthly Adjusted Number of Children and Families Served. Retrieved online, October 2, 2006. Washington, DC: HHS. back
  24. Schulman, K., & Blank, H. (2007). State Child Care Assistance Policies 2007: Some Steps Forward, More Progress Needed. Retrieved online, November 19, 2007. Washington, DC: National Women's Law Center. back
  25. Ibid. back
  26. Administration for Children and Families, Head Start Bureau. (2007). Head Start Fact Sheet. Retrieved online, November 19, 2007. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Administration for Children and Families, Head Start Bureau. (2006). Head Start Fact Sheet. Retrieved online, October 2, 2006, from www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/hsb/research/2006.htm. Washington, DC: HHS. back
  27. Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. (2007). State Medicaid Fact Sheets. Retrieved online, November 26, 2007. Menlo Park, CA: Author. back
  28. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Medicaid Statistical Information System (MSIS). Retrieved November 21, 2007. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. back
  29. Ibid. back
  30. Ibid. back
  31. Ibid. back
  32. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (2007). FY 2006 Number of Children Ever Enrolled Year-SCHIP by Program Type. Retrieved online November 21, 2007. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. back
  33. Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2007). Kids Count. State Level Data Online: Comparisons by Topic: Low birth weight babies: Number: 2004. Retrieved online, November 21, 2007. Baltimore: Author; Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2007). Kids Count. State Level Data Online: Comparisons by Topic: Low birth weight babies: Percent: 2004. Retrieved online, November 21, 2007. Baltimore: Author. back
  34. Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2007). Kids Count. State Level Data Online: Comparisons by Topic: Infant Mortality: Number: 2004. Retrieved online, November 21, 2007. Baltimore: Author; Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2007). Kids Count. State Level Data Online: Comparisons by Topic: Infant Mortality: Rate: 2004. Retrieved online, November 21, 2007. Baltimore: Author. back
  35. Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2007). Kids Count. State Level Data Online: Comparisons by Topic: Teen Births, by Age Group, Rate per 1,000: 2004. Retrieved online, November 21, 2007. Baltimore: Author. back
  36. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2007). HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, 2005. Vol. 17. Retrieved online November 21, 2007. Atlanta: Author. back
  37. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Office of Applied Studies. (2007). State Estimates of Substance Use from the 2004-2005 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health. Retrieved online November 21, 2007. Rockville, MD: Author. back
  38. Children who aged out of foster care are captured by the AFCARS emancipation data element. Children who exit care to emancipation are those who reached the age of majority. CWLA (2007) Special AFCARS tabulation. back
  39. Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2007). Kids Count. State Level Data Online: Comparisons by Topic: Teens who are high school dropouts: Number: 2005. Retrieved online, November 26, 2007. Baltimore: Author. back
  40. Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2007). Kids Count. State Level Data Online: Comparisons by Topic: Teens not attending school and not working: Percent: 2005. Retrieved online, November 26, 2007. Baltimore: Author. back
  41. SAMHSA, State Estimates of Substance Use. back
  42. Ibid. back
  43. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. (2007). Injury Mortality Reports, 1999-2004. Retrieved online, November 28, 2007. Washington, DC: Author. back
  44. Ibid. back
  45. Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2007). Crime in the United States 2006 (Table 69). Retrieved online, November 26, 2007. Washington, DC: Author. FBI. (2006). Crime in the United States 2005 (Table 69). Retrieved online, October 3, 2006. Washington, DC: Author. back
  46. Sickmund, M.; Sladky, T.J., & Kang, W. (2005). Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement Databook. Retrieved online October 3, 2006. Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. back
  47. Examples of direct services include child abuse/neglect investigations, foster care, community based programs, case management, and all such services that are required for the safety, permanency, and well being of children. Examples of administrative services include management information systems, training programs, eligibility determination processes, and all services that provide the infrastructure supports for the public agency. Scarcella, C.A.; Bess, R.; Zielewski, E.H.; & Geen, R. (2006). The Cost of Protecting Vulnerable Children V: Understanding State Variation in Child Welfare Financing. Retrieved online, October 3, 2006. Washington, DC: Urban Institute. back
  48. Ibid. back
  49. CWLA (2007) Special AFCARS tabulation. back
  50. U.S. General Accounting Office. (March 2003). Child Welfare: HHS Could Play a Greater Role in Helping Child Welfare Agencies Recruit and Retain Staff. Retrieved online, January 14, 2005. Washington, DC: Author. back
  51. Ibid. back
  52. Ibid. back
  53. Child Welfare League of America. (2006). State Child Welfare Agency Survey. Washington, DC: Author; U.S. Census Bureau. (2005). Median Income for 4-Person Families, by State. Retrieved online, October 3, 2006. Washington, DC: Author. back




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